New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday put a stay on the disproportionate assets case against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his kin and sought a response from the Tamil Nadu Police on his appeal challenging the Madras High Court decision to restore the case against him.
A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti issued notices to the Tamil Nadu Police and the original complainants and asked them to file their responses.
In October, the Madras High Court had set aside a lower court's order of December 3, 2012, which allowed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to withdraw the 2006 disproportionate assets case registered against O Panneerselvam (OPS) and his kin.
The High Court, while quashing the order, questioned DVAC on how it had initially filed a report saying that OPS had assets in excess of 374 per cent but later discharged him when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) came to power in 2011.
It had directed that the trial in the case be conducted before the Principal Sessions Court in Madurai.
The DVAC under the DMK regime had registered a case against OPS for accumulating wealth amounting to Rs 1.7 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income between 2001 and 2006 when he was the revenue minister.
In 2012, the AIADMK came back to power and the DVAC closed the case and OPS was discharged. (ANI)