Last year, in an AIADMK booth committee training meeting held in Villupuram, C Ve Shanmugam allegedly made certain remarks about women that sparked controversy. Following this, Pramila and Radhika from Chennai lodged a complaint with the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women.

After inquiring into the complaint, the Commission issued a summons to Shanmugam. Alleging that he failed to appear for the inquiry, the Commission, on November 11, directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate criminal proceedings against him.

Challenging this order, Shanmugam filed a petition before the Madras High Court. Justice AD Jagadish Chandira passed the order in the case on Wednesday.

It observed that the Commission could not "blow hot and cold" by refusing to furnish a copy of the complaint on the ground of confidentiality while simultaneously disclosing the details of the complainants. The Court also noted that there was nothing on record to show that a preliminary inquiry had been conducted in the matter.

Further, the Court pointed out that both the notice and the recommendation sent to the DGP bore only the signature of the Chairperson and not those of the other members of the Commission.

The Court therefore held that the proceedings initiated by the Commission and the communication sent to the DGP could not be sustained in law. Noting the procedural irregularities and observing that the speech did not constitute any offence as alleged, the Court quashed the proceedings.