CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday refused to stay the proceedings against Tamil Nadu Minister for Dairy Development RS Rajakannappan regarding violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the Assembly polls in 2021.
Justice P Velmurugan, while refusing to grant the relief, ordered notice to the police to file reply to the petitions filed by the minister by February 17, 2025.
Rajakannappan filed the petitions praying for quashing the cases pending in the local courts in Sivagangai and stay further proceedings until his petition is disposed of by the High Court.
He stated that the Peraiyur police registered a case against him in March 2021 for allegedly installing DMK flags and festoons in public places violating the MCC during the poll campaign. The case is currently pending in the local court.In another case registered in Salagramam police station, he was booked for using vehicles in excess of the permitted numbers for the election campaign at Manamadurai Assembly constituency where he canvassed for his party’s candidate Tamilarasi.
He alleged that the final report in the Peraiyur police case was filed after a delay of four years, and sought the court to quash the case pending in the local court. He had also filed a petition seeking to exempt him from personally appearing before the local court.
Meanwhile, Justice Velmurugan dismissed a petition filed by Ramanathapuram MP Navas Kani of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) praying for quashing a poll code violation case pending in a local court. The judge observed that there was prima facie material to substantiate the charges.