Madras HC dismisses review pleas filed by KN Nehru's brothers in cash-for-jobs case

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday refused permission to KN Nehru's brothers, KN Manivannan and KN Ravichandran, and other accused to file individual review petitions against its February 20 order directing the registration of an FIR in the alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan dismissed the petitions, citing the dismissal of a review petition filed by Nehru on October 26.

The matter relates to a communication from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) alleging that bribes amounting to Rs 634 crore were collected for 2,538 appointments to various posts, including assistant engineers, junior engineers and sanitary inspectors, in the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department. The alleged illegal gratification ranged from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh per post.

Based on the ED's communication, AIADMK MP IS Inbadurai approached the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu DGP to register a case. On February 20, a Bench led by the Chief Justice directed the registration of an FIR.

On October 26, the Bench dismissed a review petition filed by former Minister KN Nehru seeking a review of the order.

Following this, Manivannan and Ravichandran, and co-accused D Kaviprasad, D Ramesh, R Narayanan and Thiyagarajan Selvamani, sought permission to file individual review petitions against the court's direction to the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to register an FIR.

The Division Bench dismissed their petitions.