CHENNAI: Indicating a possible legal trouble for deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, the Madras high court on Tuesday asked why it should not direct the CBI to investigate corruption allegations against him.Referring to a corruption complaint lodged by the DMK with the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption three months ago, Justice G Jayachandran asked the state agency why no investigation had been initiated even three months after it received the complaint against Panneerselvam. The judge gave DVAC time till July 23 to explain its position in the matter.When a direction petition filed by the DMK came up for hearing on Tuesday, public prosecutor Emilias submitted that DVAC had forwarded the complaint to the chief secretary for her remarks. Annoyed over the submission, Justice Jayachandran asked whether the role of the DVAC was over by simply forwarding the complaint to the chief secretary.As per the complainant (DMK), “Paneerselvam’s name has been mentioned in the diary seized from J Sekhar Reddy. When the CBI is already investigating Reddy’s case, why can’t this case be transferred to them?” To this, CBI standing counsel K Srinivasan submitted that the agency was not a party to the present petition. Recording the submission, the judge directed the DMK to serve a copy of the petition and complaint to the CBI.The court passed the order on a plea moved by the DMK seeking a direction to the DVAC to register a case and investigate the complaint made by the party against the deputy chief minister, alleging amassment of assets and wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. The party’s organising secretary R S Bharathi submitted in the petition that he had made a complaint to the DVAC on March 10 seeking a probe into the assets amassed by Panneerselvam in his name and in the name of his benamis and family members.Earlier, representing the petitioner, senior counsel NR Elango said, “By abusing his power gained unlawfully, Panneerselvam has amassed wealth and invested the same in companies and properties either in his name or in the name of his benamis. He has for this purpose also made false declarations before income tax authorities and election officials. He has thus rendered himself liable under the Income Tax Act, Representation of People Act, Indian Penal Code, Prohibition of Benami Transactions Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act.”

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