CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by an advocate seeking orders for an inquiry into alleged suppression of asset details by former chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin in the affidavit accompanying his nomination papers for the April Assembly elections in the Kolathur constituency where he lost to the TVK’s V S Babu.
The first division bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Aul Murugan questioned the petitioner, T Sivagnanasambandan, on the materials to prove the charges of suppression of asset details.
The petitioner alleged that Stalin had failed to disclose the details of Rs 2.27 crore properties purchased by the DMK Charitable Trust, of which he is a permanent managing trustee, in the affidavit accompanying the nomination papers.
However, senior counsel P Wilson, representing Stalin, submitted that Form 26 does not mandate disclosure of all the trust properties. The petitioner stated that verification of public documents revealed the trust had acquired immovable property worth Rs 2.27 crore at Kadambadi village and the document was registered at the sub-registrar office in Thirukazhukundram in 2019.