HC adjourns pleas against Senthilbalaji to July 28
Similarly, another petitioner ML Ravi filed a plea to quash the government order, which allows Senthilbalaji to continue as Minister without portfolio in the Cabinet.
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has adjourned the quo warranto petitions and other petition against Minister Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA case, to July 28, 2023.
J Jayavardhan, son of AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar and another petitioner S Ramachandran filed a quo warranto petition against the continuation of Senthilbalaji in the state Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio.
Similarly, another petitioner ML Ravi filed a plea to quash the government order, which allows Senthilbalaji to continue as Minister without portfolio in the Cabinet.
Considering the common grounds of the petitions, the first division bench of the Madras High Court (MHC) comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice PD Audikesavalu clubbed all the three petitions for hearing.
Senior counsel V Raghavachari, who appeared for Jayavardhan, argued that Senthilbalaji cannot continue as a Minister without a portfolio and questioned if a person in jail is entitled to be a Minister without portfolio. The senior counsel wondered the exemption in case of Minister Senthilbalaji. Article 163 gives discretionary power to the Governor to dismiss a Minister from the Cabinet and he should act, Raghavachari contended.
After the submissions, the bench adjourned the case to July 28 for the submission of the Advocate General.
