Secretariat case: HC junks GO to probe M K Stalin

  • | Friday | 14th December, 2018

Stung by the high court criticism, Justice Regupathy quit the commission soon after. It was then that the government issued the impugned GO proposing to initiate a probe by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC).Subsequently, Stalin and Duraimurugan moved the high court challenging the GO. It also passed an order officially winding up the Regupathy Commission and directed the state to initiate criminal prosecution, if a prima facie case was made out. Arguing their cases, senior counsel P Wilson said material and evidence gathered by the commission could not be used against them for a DVAC probe, as it was barred by the Commissions of Inquiry Act. The AIADMK government appointed Justice Regupathy as Commission of inquiry in 2011; the commission became defunct from March 2015 in view of a court order passed on pleas moved by Karunanidhi, Stalin and Duraimurugan.On October 1, 2018, the Madras high court came down heavily on various judicial commissions and said they wasted public money for no useful purpose.

CHENNAI: The Madras HC on Thursday quashed a GO for a vigilance probe against DMK leaders M K Stalin and S Duraimurugan over allegations of irregularities in the construction of the secretariat-cum-assembly complex at the Omandurar government estate on Anna Salai.The probe, initially handled by the Justice R Regupathy Commission, was transferred to the DVAC by an order dated October 24, as the government decided to wind up the commission after being reprimanded by the high court. On Thursday, Justice Puspha Sathyanarayana declared the GO not valid.Original probe was against Karuna, Stalin, DuraimuruganA pet project of former chief minister M Karunanidhi, the secretariat-cum-assembly complex was converted into a multi-super-specialty hospital by Jayalalithaa after she returned to power in 2011.Originally, the probe was initiated against Karunanidhi too but was dropped after he passed away on August 7, 2018. The AIADMK government appointed Justice Regupathy as Commission of inquiry in 2011; the commission became defunct from March 2015 in view of a court order passed on pleas moved by Karunanidhi, Stalin and Duraimurugan.On October 1, 2018, the Madras high court came down heavily on various judicial commissions and said they wasted public money for no useful purpose. It also passed an order officially winding up the Regupathy Commission and directed the state to initiate criminal prosecution, if a prima facie case was made out. Stung by the high court criticism, Justice Regupathy quit the commission soon after. It was then that the government issued the impugned GO proposing to initiate a probe by the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC).Subsequently, Stalin and Duraimurugan moved the high court challenging the GO. Arguing their cases, senior counsel P Wilson said material and evidence gathered by the commission could not be used against them for a DVAC probe, as it was barred by the Commissions of Inquiry Act.

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