Supreme Court stays Madras HC order restoring corruption charges against Tamil Nadu ministers

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Madras High Court's order restoring corruption charges related to possession of disproportionate assets against Tamil Nadu ministers K K S S R (Sattur) Ramachandran and Thangam Thenarasu and their spouses.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government on the plea against the High Court's order setting aside their discharge passed in suo motu exercise of the jurisdiction.

Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi, A M Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Sidharth Luthra and S Muralidhar contended the High Court could not have in criminal revision rejected the closure report filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption.

They also submitted the suo motu criminal matter was to be posted before a division as per roster of the High Court.

The counsel also contended the High Court exceeded jurisdiction by directing the framing of charges.

The Tamil Nadu government counsel said it would file special leave petition against the High Court's order.

In August, the High Court had overturned previous orders from special courts that had discharged Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K K S S R Ramachandran and Human Resource Management Minister Thangam Thenarasu from the corruption cases.

Ramachandran had allegedly amassed disproportionate wealth as Health and Backward Classes Minister during the 2006-2011 DMK regime, along with his wife and friend.

The DVAC invoked provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act but subsequently in July 2023, it filed a final report citing no established offences. The special court discharged the minister.

During his tenure as the school education Minister in the 2006-2011 DMK regime, Thangam Thenarasu and his wife allegedly amassed disproportionate assets.

The DVAC filed a case after searches at his residences in Virudhunagar and Chennai. However, a final report indicating no offence led to his discharge by the special court in December 2023.

The High Court's single judge bench of Justice N Anand Venkatesh also observed the DVAC's efforts to support the discharge application by the accused suggested a "compromised investigation aimed at exonerating them".