HC judge acting with malafide intention: RS Bharathi

CHENNAI: Days after Madras High Court judge Anand Venkatesh took suo motu revision petitions against sitting DMK Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu, DMK Organizing Secretary RS Bharathi on Thursday said that the judge was acting with a malafide intention.

Talking to media persons at DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam in a specially convened press conference, Bharathi said that though the courts have the authority to take suo motu cognisance of cases, which the DMK respects, the said judge (Justice Anand Venkatesh) has acted with a malafide intention.

Asked if they perceived a political intervention in the case, Bharathi said, "I will not call it political intervention, but justice Anand Venkatesh has acted with a malafide intention. The judge has selected the case on a "pick and choose" basis. Already, when he took up a case in a similar fashion in 2022, he was pulled up by the Supreme Court."

On the court's observations about the DVAC changing its stand pre and post-regime change in the State, the DMK Organizing Secretary who read out a portion of his verdict in the Rs 3,600 crore tender scam case involving AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and said, "In the Rs 3,600 crore tender scam case filed by me, the same judge said that he would not hear it as he does not want to waste the time of the court."

Wondering if the SC would not ask if hearing a Rs 3,600 crore scam case is wasting the courts time, will the hearing of Rs 44 lakh and Rs 74 lakh worth cases not amount to waste of time, Bharathi said, "He (judge) is using his discretionary power, to choose case. I call his motive malafide intention. He is an honourable judge. I should not criticize him, but his order can be questioned. I am aggrieved as I am the petitioner in the case against EPS. Hence I am criticising his order."

Reacting to a specific query on the judge accusing government officials of trying to save those in power, the DMK Organizing Secretary said, "He passed orders in the Rs 3,600 crore scam case only based on the order of the same government officials. What applies to A, must apply to B? Same khaki clad DVAC personnel are filing the case. Did they come from the sky or the moon? Same HC judges passed orders for CBI inquiry into the Rs 3,600 crore tender scam case."

Referring to the acquittal of former AIADMK Ministers O Panneerselvam, Natham Viswanathan and others in the similar DA cases, Bharathi said, "Were the current cases filed in the DMK regime? They were filed in the Jayalalithaa regime. DMK was not in power for 10 years. It is creating a wrong impression among the people and hence this briefing. We will advance the arguments before the apex court. DMK has always had utmost faith in the courts."