Madras HC stays Triplicane police probe into horse-trading case of TVK's Elaiyaraja

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed all further proceedings and the investigation by the Triplicane police in the alleged horse-trading case involving a TVK MLA, while directing the State and Centre governments and the CBI to respond to petitions seeking transfer of the probe.

TVK MLA N Elaiyaraja had filed a complaint alleging that Thirunavukkarasu, an aide of former minister V Senthilbalaji, offered him Rs 35 crore to vote against the Speaker during a proposed no-confidence motion in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and later threatened him and his family after he rejected the offer. Based on the complaint, the Triplicane police registered a case and have arrested 14 persons so far, including Ramesh, who the Madras High Court recently granted bail.

Ramesh has moved the Madras High Court seeking transfer of the investigation from the State police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), contending that he would not receive a fair and impartial investigation.

At an earlier hearing, the court granted an interim stay on the investigation against petitioner Ramesh pending further orders.

Subsequently, Sethuraj and Karthik, who were granted bail on Monday, also moved the High Court seeking transfer of the case to the CBI and a direction for a fresh investigation by the central agency.

When the batch of petitions came up for hearing before the Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan, the Court directed the Union Government, the Tamil Nadu government and the CBI to file their responses to the petitions.

The bench further ordered that all further proceedings and the investigation in the case on the file of Triplicane police station shall remain stayed until the next date of hearing. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 27.