CHENNAI: A division bench of Madras High Court consisting of Justices R Suresh Kumar and K Kumaresh Babu on Tuesday reserved orders on a petition filed by the state government seeking the court’s nod for withdrawing an appeal filed by the erstwhile AIADMK government over alleged corruption charges against current Chief Minister MK Stalin and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan in the construction of the new secretariat building at the Omandurar estate.
The petition to withdraw the appeal was filed by the government after the DMK assumed office in 2021. The previous AIADMK government had moved the appeal against an order of the high court quashing a government order for a probe by DVAC based on the findings of a now disbanded inquiry commission headed by retired judge Justice R Raghupathy.
When the appeal was being heard by the division bench, former MP belonging to AIADMK J Jayavardhan filed a petition seeking to implead him in the case and hear him before deciding on the withdrawal.
However, Advocate General PS Raman representing the state and senior counsel P Wilson appearing for Stalin and Duraimurugan strongly opposed the petition saying it is within the powers of the government to withdraw the appeal and need not take other’s views.
Senior counsel V Raghavachari, appearing for Jayavardhan, said the government cannot stop the investigation, instead, it shall allow the probe to take its logical end as the issue is of public interest.