Bench dealing with cases against MPs/MLAs should hear quashing pleas by ex-Minister SP Velumani: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Registry to list two petitions filed by AIADMK member and former Tamil Nadu Minister SP Velumani seeking quashing of FIRs against him, before a Division Bench that is dealing with cases of Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MPs/MLAs)..A Bench of Acting Chief Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice Sundar Mohan said that since SP Velumani was a sitting MLA, the special bench must hear his quashing pleas..The Court also directed that the interim stay restraining the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC) from filing the final report against Velumani in the tender irregularities case will continue until the matter is heard next by the appropriate bench..The Court passed its order amidst vehement opposition from Senior Advocate SV Raju, who appeared for Velumani.Raju argued that since the first bench of the High Court had already been hearing the case and it had also tagged a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) related to the issue filed by an NGO, the same Bench must continue hearing the matter..Earlier this month, Tamil Nadu Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram too had raised objection to the Bench headed by then Chief Justice MN Bhandari hearing Velumani's quashing plea. The Tamil Nadu government had said that a special bench assigned to hear cases against MPs and MLAs must be directed to hear the pleas..Tamil Nadu government objects to ASG SV Raju appearing for former Minister SP Velumani before Madras High Court.Velumani had approached the High Court earlier this year seeking that two FIRs registered against him last year by the DVAC last year in Chennai and Coimbatore.In 2019, following a plea by NGO Arappor Iyakkam alleging corruption in the awarding of corporation tenders by the Greater Chennai and Coimbatore civic bodies, and Velumani's involvement in the same during the AIADMK regime, the High Court had appointed Superintendent of Police R Ponni to probe into the complaints and find out whether any cognisable offence was made out.The officer gave a clean chit to the former Minister in December 2019, and in January 2020, the then government accepted the same. However, after a change of rule in Tamil Nadu, in May 2021, the DVAC registered two FIRs against Velumani.