Bench on MPs, MLAs cases to hear Velumani's petitions on Thursday

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court’s special bench trying the cases against MPs and MLAs on Wednesday agreed to hear the petitions of former Local Administration (LA) minister SP Velumani on Thursday.

The AIADMK leader filed these petitions to quash two cases booked by the DVAC against him for allegedly violating the rules and regulations in awarding Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Coimbatore Municipal corporation tenders from 2014 to 2021.

The bench comprising Justice PN Prakash and Justice Teekaa Raman announced their decision to hear the matter on Thursday after the State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Jinnah urged the judges to take up the matter at the earliest.

The PP submitted the copy of the orders passed by the first bench of ACJ M Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan transferring the case to the special bench for MPs and MLAs. The PP also informed the judge that as per the Prevention of Corruption Act, no interim relief should be granted to the accused.

“Nevertheless, in this case, an interim injunction restraining the DVAC from filing the final inquiry report in the case is in operation. Therefore, the bench should hear and dispose of it at the earliest, the PP mentioned. On hearing the mentions of the PP, the judges noted that they will hear the matter on Thursday.

It could be recalled that the state objected to Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to represent Velumani in the case. The government also wanted the former CJ’s bench to transfer the case to a bench having jurisdiction to hear the criminal case or a bench trying cases against the MPs and MLAs.

On September 7, the first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala rejected such requests, and the same was upheld by the Apex Court. Meanwhile, after the retirement of CJ MN Bhandari, the ACJ Duraiswamy’s bench on Tuesday passed orders to list the matter before the special bench.