CM ‘correct’ on Pollachi case, rules Assembly Speaker Appavu

CHENNAI: Speaker M Appavu on Saturday put to rest the raging debate between Chief Minister MK Stalin and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on the Pollachi sex racket case and passed a ruling in the House that the statements made by the Chief Minister during the session on Friday were ‘correct’.

Prodded by Leader of the House Duraimurugan to pass a ruling on the issue after the CM’s reply to the debate on the Governor’s address, Speaker Appavu said, “The Chief Minister presented the documents as he announced. The opposition also presented its documents at 9.23 am today. A perusal of both showed that the CM is correct.”

The speaker clarified that the Pollachi incident happened on February 12, 2019 and the FIR was registered on February 24, but the victim's brother lodged a complaint with the district police superintendent on February 19, 2019. Principal opposition party AIADMK raised objections after the Speaker detailed some aspects of the case, including the run-up to the complaint and assault on the accused and victim's brother. While the AIADMK members led by its deputy legislature party leader R B Udhayakumar vainly sought to intervene, Duraimurugan prevailed over by insisting that they have to record their views after the Speaker passed the ruling, which he eventually did.

The Speaker convincingly informed the House that the FIR was not registered on the same day the complaint was lodged. LoP claimed during the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address on Friday that the victim lodged the complaint on February 24, and the FIR was registered the same day. Curiously, CM Stalin insisted in the House on Friday that the FIR was filed only 12 days after the complaint was preferred.