Complete probe against SP Velumani, file final report in 10 weeks: Madras HC

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu gave the direction, while disposing of two petitions, the first one filed in 2018 by the Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption movement and the second one from R S Bharathi of the DMK, filed this year.

The petitions had alleged corruption running to several hundred crores of rupees in the award of contracts by Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations by the minister during the previous AIADMK regime and prayed for constitution of a special investigating team (SIT) to probe the charges and to take punitive action.

As the then AIADMK government had closed the case following a clean chit given by a special team in 2019, the matter was reopened after the DMK came to power this year.

The bench said ''the law has to be allowed to take its own course. Upon completion of the investigation, a report will, no doubt, be filed. And such report will be filed within the next ten weeks, be in the form of a charge sheet or a final report,'' the bench added.

It noted the state had rejected a plea from Velumani to furnish a copy of the preliminary enquiry (PE) report to him, at this stage. ''It may do well to decline the request,'' the bench said.

It, however, said that if the PE report forms basis for any of the charges ought to be framed, a copy of the same may be given to Velumani, by the trial court after the final report is filed.

After holding that no purpose would be served in keeping the petitions alive and disposing of them, the bench gave the direction to the DV& AC.