CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has quashed four criminal cases registered against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam in connection with alleged violations of election regulations during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the Ramanathapuram constituency.
Panneerselvam had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from Ramanathapuram.
Cases were registered against him at the Paramakudi, Tiruvadanai, Tiruppullani and Keelakarai police stations. The complaints alleged that he conducted campaign activities with a large number of vehicles in violation of election rules and burst crackers for campaign purposes after 10 pm.
Seeking to quash the cases registered in 2024, Panneerselvam filed petitions before the Madras High Court. When the petitions came up for hearing before Justice AD Jagadish Chandira, counsel for the petitioner submitted that three of the cases had been registered based on complaints lodged by police officials rather than by the competent authority authorised to report election rule violations.
The counsel further contended that in one of the cases, the charge sheet had been filed beyond the prescribed limitation period.
Accepting these submissions, the court allowed the petitions and quashed all four cases registered against the former Chief Minister.