The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Court closes DMK petitions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 29, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Court closes DMK petitions

Staff Reporter

State submits that allegation of irregularities was false

CHENNAI: : With the Government reporting to the Madras High Court that DMK complaints alleging large-scale irregularities during polling for two Chennai Corporation Council wards on April 19 were "false," the court closed a batch of petitions on the issue.

When the matter came up for hearing before Justice M. Karpagavinayagam and Justice C. Nagappan on Thursday, the judges said "in view of the fact that the police had registered the complaints of the DMK, conducted inquiry and filed a report stating that the contents of the complaint were false, we are not inclined to give any finding with regard to the truth or otherwise of the complaint."

They, however, added that the complainant, R. Ramamurthy of the DMK, was "at liberty to seek necessary relief before an appropriate forum."

Mr. Ramamurthy had filed a petition seeking to restrain the authorities from drafting over 40 Tamil Nadu Housing Board employees belonging to a union affiliated to the AIADMK for election work.

After a single judge allowed the plea, the Government appealed against the order on the ground that not all employees could be termed ruling party supporters and offered to exclude those against whom specific materials had been furnished in court. Ultimately, over 14 employees were restrained from doing election duty.

On April 19, unruly incidents and road blockade by Opposition as well as ruling party leaders, including Ministers, were mentioned in the court.

Though the court expressed its unhappiness over the Ministers' action, it considered only the DMK's allegation that its complaint were not even accepted by the police, though a complaint from a woman cadre of the AIADMK was entertained and a case registered against top DMK functionaries.

The court then asked the Additional Advocate-General, A.L. Somayaji, to instruct the authorities concerned to accept complaints from the DMK, inquire and give a finding.

Accordingly, on Thursday, the court was informed by Mr. Somayaji that the police found no substance in the DMK complaints and that no offence had been made out against anybody named in them.

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