HC quashes case against former minister Kadambur Raju

In a relief to former minister and AIADMK MLA Kadambur C Raju, the Madras High Court on Monday quashed a case booked against him by Thoothukudi district police in 2021 on charges of allegedly threatening and obstructing an election flying squad during the Assembly polls.

Justice M Nirmal Kumar granted the relief after hearing the petition preferred by the former information minister seeking direction to quash the cases booked by Nalantinpudhur police station. Kadambur Raju submitted that he and his acquaintances had neither stopped nor threatened the election flying squad when the poll officials were involved in vehicle checking at the Kovilpatti Assembly constituency in March last year.

The petitioner also submitted that there was no altercation between him and the officials part of the election flying squad. “We had extended full cooperation to the flying squad to examine our vehicles,” he added.

Recording the submissions, the judge quashed the cases booked against the AIADMK leader under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

The matter was about a complaint lodged by Mari Muthu, an election official who filed a complaint against the then minister, alleging that he and his supporters did not allow him to discharge his duties on March 12, 2021.