Supreme Court Stays Madras HC Order Reviving Corruption Cases Against O Panneerselvam
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Madras High Court order that had restored a disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his family. A bench headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy issued the stay on the October 29 order, which the high court had passed suo motu. The bench also sought a response from the Tamil Nadu government on the petitions filed by Panneerselvam and his kin, posting the matter for a hearing in four weeks.
The Madras High Court had previously directed a trial court to frame charges, conduct proceedings on a day-to-day basis, and conclude the trial by June 2025. The directive overturned a 2012 order by the Sivaganga Chief Judicial Magistrate that had discharged Panneerselvam and seven relatives after the state government withdrew prosecution. The case, filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, alleged that Panneerselvam had amassed ₹1.7 crore in wealth disproportionate to his known income during his tenure as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Revenue Minister from 2001 to 2006.
Senior advocates, including Mukul Rohatgi and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that the restoration of the case after nearly two decades was an overreach of judicial powers. They pointed out that the high court’s intervention had undermined the trial judge’s discretion under the Code of Criminal Procedure. The apex court’s stay ensures that the trial proceedings in the case, now transferred to a special court in Madurai, remain on hold until further review.
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