Madras HC refuses to grant interim relief to minister I Periyasamy

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday refused to grant interim relief to Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy who had filed a petition seeking to quash a criminal case pending against him connected to the allotment of a housing plot to former DGP MS Jaffar Sait's wife.

Justice P Velmurugan directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to file a counter to quash petition and posted the matter to December 20, for further submission.

Senior counsel R John Sathyan represented the minister submitted that all other accused persons booked in the case were relieved and cases against them were quashed, but the petitioner alone is facing the trial now.

He argued that the petitioner being minister the State only can issue sanction for the prosecution but in the present case it was granted by the Speaker of the Assembly, on these two grounds the counsel sought to quash the case.

He also sought to grant interim relief to the petitioner as the case is pending before the special court for hearing cases against MPs/MLAs. However, the judge refused to grant interim order.

On 2008, I Periyasamy being the minister for housing department alloted 4763 square feet of Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) plots to Jaffar Sait wife Parvin in Thiruvanmiyur under discretionary quota, allegedly.

In 2011, after AIADMK assumed the power in the State, DVAC filed a case against I Periyasamy alleging that he misused his public office and alloted plots to an IPS officer's wife illegally.

Since, all other accused including Jaffar Sait and his wife were relieved from the case, the petitioner moved the plea to quash the case pending in the special court.