HC rejects Velumani's request to restrain DVAC from taking action

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court rejected the request of former minister SP Velumani to restrain the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) from initiating any strict action against him in the corporation tender irregularities case.

The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala passed the direction on hearing the petition filed by Arappor Iyakkam and DMK organizing secretary RS Bharathi.

The petitioners sought direction from the court to the DVAC to probe the irregularities in awarding tenders in Chennai and Coimbatore corporations during the tenure of Velumani as the LA minister.

Velumani's counsel submitted that his client had filed a criminal case for setting aside the case booked against him. He further sought liberty to withdraw his writ petitions filed for the same relief.

Recording the submissions, the judges ordered notice to Arappor Iyakkam and Bharathi to file their response on August 25.

When Velumani's counsel wanted a direction to the DVAC not to take coercive action in the case, state public prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah, countered that submission, saying that the stringent action could not be avoided in the course of the probe.

Recording the submissions, the judges rejected the request of Velumani. Meanwhile, in a sigh of relief to Velumani, the bench restrained the DVAC from filing the charge sheet immediately.