The Madras High Court Monday set aside a special court order to close an illegal land allotment case against Tamil Nadu minister I Periyasamy.
Justice Anand Venkatesh directed Periyasamy to face trial in the case.
Justice Venkatesh pronounced the verdict on a suo motu revision case that he had initiated against the discharge of the Rural Development Minister in the DMK-led government, Periyasamy from a case of alleged irregular allotment of a Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) plot to the personal security officer (PSO) of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had booked Periyasamy after the AIADMK came to power in 2011.
The DVAC's case against Periyasamy relates to the allotment of a high-income group plot in Chennai to Karunanidhi's PSO, Ganesan, when Periyasamy served as Housing Minister during the DMK regime in March 2008.
While the then legislative assembly speaker had granted sanction for Periyasamy's prosecution in 2012, the minister filed a discharge petition in 2016 claiming that such sanction should have been granted by the Governor and not the speaker.
Subsequently, in July 2016, a special court dismissed the discharge application. This order was confirmed by the High Court and the Supreme Court in November and December 2022, respectively.
Periyasamy, however, went on to file another discharge petition before the special court on February 21, 2023, on the ground that the sanction was invalid. This time, the special court accepted the minister's contention and on March 17, 2023, passed an order discharging Periyasamy from the case. This order has now been set aside by the High Court.
In the High Court, Senior Counsel Ranjit Kumar appeared for Periyasamy. Advocate General PS Raman appeared for the DVAC.
TAGS: Madras High Court I Periyasamy Tamil Nadu minister land allotment case special court order set aside trial Justice Anand Venkatesh
