HC reserves orders on TN ex-Minister's plea to quash FIRs

The Madras High Court on Tuesday reserved its orders on the plea from former minister S P Velumani to quash two FIRs registered against him on the basis of as many complaints from a NGO and a senior DMK leader.

The bench of Justices P N Prakash and RMT Teekaa Raman reserved the orders after listening to the marathon arguments advanced by the counsel for the parties.

The plaints were filed by former DMK MP RS Bharathy and Arappor Iyakkam, a non governmental organisation.

They alleged that during his stint as the Municipal Administration Minister during the previous AIADMK regime, Velumani had awarded contracts of Greater Chennai Corporation and Coimbatore Corporation to his relatives and close associates and thereby caused several thousand crores of rupees' loss to the State exchequer.

Earlier, advocate V Suresh, representing Arappor Iyakkam, found fault with the action of the Vigilance SP Ponni, who had closed the case. Among other things, he contended she had acted in a mala fide and biased manner by deliberately disregarding concrete evidence presented by Arappor Iyakkam to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.