CHENNAI: CHENNAI: The Madras High Court refused to grant interim relief to Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy in a criminal case in connection with the allotment of housing plots to the wife of former DGP MS Jaffar Sait.

Justice P Velmurugan directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to file a counter to quash the minister’s petition and posted the matter to December 20.

Senior counsel R John Sathyan sought to quash the case on two grounds – one that all the other accused have been relieved, with cases against them quashed, but the petitioner alone is facing the trial. Secondly, as the petitioner is a minister, it is the State that should give the sanction to prosecute him, but in this case it came from the Speaker.

Sathyan also sought interim relief for the petitioner citing the matter is pending before a special court for hearing cases against MPs/MLAs. However, the judge refused to grant an interim order.

In 2008, Periyasamy who was then minister for housing allegedly allotted 4763 sq ft of Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) plots in Thiruvanmiyur to Sait’s wife Parvin under discretionary quota.

In 2011, after the AIADMK assumed power in the State, DVAC filed a case against Periyasamy, alleging he misused his public office to allot the plot to an IPS officer’s wife.

Since all the other accused, including Sait and his wife, were relieved from the case, the petitioner moved the plea to quash the case.