Suo motu cases against TN politicians adjourned after SC's intervention

CHENNAI: Justice N Anand Venkatesh, on Monday, adjourned all the suo motu revision cases initiated against the top politicians of the State. including sitting Ministers, as the Supreme Court placed the matter before the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in a Special Leave Petition (SLP).

Justice N Anand Venkatesh had fixed dates for the final hearing of the suo motu cases initiated by him against the discharge of the politicians from graft cases.

As per the fixed schedule cases against Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran, Thangam Thennarasu, and former Ministers O Panneerselvam and B Valaramathi were listed on Monday for final hearing.

However, the counsel for Minister KKSSR mentioned about the SLP filed against the Supreme Court and awaiting order and sought for short pass-over.

A division bench of the Apex Court comprising Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra heard the SLP preferred by KKSSR against the hearing of suo motu criminal revision.

The report filed by the Registrar General (RG) of Madras High Court before the Supreme Court stated that prior approval was not taken from the CJ of Madras High Court before the initiation of suo motu cases against the politicians by the single judge.

The Chief Justice of Madras High Court is cognizant of the suo motu revision after the single judge initiated it by exercising his revisional powers.

After the submission, the bench directed the registry of Madras High Court to place the suo motu cases before the Chief Justice (CJ) of Madras High Court to decide which judge should hear the suo motu cases, as the SLP sought against the hearing of suo motu cases by Justice N Anand Venkatesh since he initiated the criminal revision.

The order of the Supreme Court was mentioned before Justice N Anand Venkatesh, subsequently, he observed that after perusing the Apex Court order, further decision will be taken and posted the matter to February 7.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh holding the portfolio to hear the cases related to MP/MLAs initiated a series of suo motu criminal revisions against the discharge of incumbent Ministers, KKSSR Ramachandran, Thangam Thennarasu, I Periyasamy, and former ministers K Ponmudy, O Panneerselvam, and B Valarmathi from disproportionate asset (DA) case.

The judge raised his suspicion over the narrative of the investigation and judicial proceedings.

All the cases were booked by DVAC while the rival party was in power and final reports were submitted before the respective courts.

Later, when the regime changed, the case files were transferred to another lower court. and the final closure report was filed by the same agency giving clean chit to the politicians, wrote the judge in his suo motu revision.

All of a sudden all the accused were discharged from the DA case accepting the final closure report, the judge wrote.

Further, the judge issued notice to all the politicians discharged from the DA case.

The counsels of the politicians sought to recuse Justice N Anand Venkatesh from hearing the suo-motu cases as it was initiated by him, however, he refused to recuse and observed that it was informed to the CJ of the Madras High Court about the suo-motu initiations.