SC dismisses plea filed by OPS against suo moto revision initiated by Madras HC in DA case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the plea filed by expelled AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) against the notice issued to him and his relatives in the suo moto revision petition taken by the Madras High Court in the disproportionate asset case.

A bench, headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, refused to interfere with the Madras High Court’s order taking up the revision petition after OPS was set free in the case by a trial court in 2012.

However, the bench, also comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, clarified that the observations contained in the impugned order of the High Court issuing notice will have no bearing on the outcome of the revision petition.

Justice Anand Venkatesh of the High Court in August last year had observed that Tamil's Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) used to file cases against opposition leaders and when the same opposition leaders come to power, it opens a re-investigation and closes the file. He added that this was a practice that was unheard off in the criminal judicial system.

Justice Venkatesh said that he took up the case which was closed a decade ago suo moto because the courts are looking at ordinary people, and the MPs, MLAs, ministers in a different manner