Madras High Court rejects petitions on AIADMK ex-ministers’ asset rise

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court dismissed writ petitions seeking a probe into the asset disclosures of AIADMK former Ministers CVe Shanmugam and D Jayakumar, observing that similar petitions had already been rejected earlier.

A voter, Senthilkumar from the Mailam Assembly constituency in Villupuram district, had filed the writ petition seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India and the Director General of Income Tax (DGIT) to conduct an inquiry into the veracity of the asset disclosures of CVe Shanmugam made in his nomination affidavit.

The petitioner contended that Shanmugam had declared movable assets worth Rs 12,08,409 in 2021, which allegedly increased to Rs 60,64,152 at present, and that such a substantial escalation over a five-year tenure as an MLA was disproportionate and unsupported by disclosed sources of income.

Similarly, a writ petition was filed by Praveenkumar, a resident of Royapuram, challenging the nomination affidavit of D Jayakumar, who contested from the Royapuram constituency. The petitioner alleged suppression and discrepancies in asset disclosures and sought a direction to the EC and the DGIT to initiate an inquiry. It was pointed out that while Jayakumar had declared assets worth Rs 39,14,000 in 2021, the same were stated as Rs 70,73,000 in the 2026 affidavit, without furnishing adequate particulars explaining the increase.

Upon consideration, the Division Bench noted that similar petitions had already been dismissed earlier. Recording the same, the Court dismissed the present writ petitions against CVe Shanmugam and D Jayakumar.