Madras HC seeks bonafide of petitioner requests probe against CM Stalin

CHENNAI: The Chief Bench of the Madras High Court (MHC) directed a petitioner to deposit Rs.1 lakh to prove his bonafide in a plea challenging the cancellation of sanction to probe against Chief Minister MK Stalin in an alleged flyover corruption charge.

The first division bench, comprising Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad, heard a petition moved by Manickam Athappa Gounder seeking to initiate the probe.

The petitioner alleged that during the 1996–2001 DMK regime, Rs.115 crore of public money was swindled by the then CM M Karunanidhi, then Mayor MK Stalin and minister K Ponmudy through the various projects of laying flyovers in the capital.

Later, in 2001, the then AIADMK government initiated a probe against the top politicians and charge sheets were also filed.

Subsequently, when the regime changed in the State, the sanction allowing to probe against the politicians was cancelled in 2006, said the petitioner.

Since a series of suo motu revisions were initiated against the discharge of the politicians from disproportionate asset cases, it is a farce that the sanction for the probe was cancelled, said the petitioner.

After the submission, the bench directed the petitioner to deposit Rs.1 lakh and posted the matter to April 25 for further proceedings.