CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has refused to grant interim protection from police action to former minister EV Velu and his son E V Kumaran in connection with the alleged illegal excavation of lake-bed clay soil for levelling the grounds of the venue of a DMK youth wing conference held in 2025.
Justice V Lakshminarayanan on Wednesday said the Supreme Court has said the high courts shall not give directions against coercive actions under Section 482 of CrPC.
He was hearing the petitions filed by Velu and his son praying for the court to quash the FIR registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in Tiruvannamalai. The FIR was filed based on complaints lodged by Arappor Iyakkam, an NGO, alleging that clay soil was excavated from the Malappambadi lake bed at a depth of 10-23 ft, causing a loss of Rs 8 crore to the exchequer.
The judge said no interim stay against the proceedings of the police could be granted without hearing the respondents.
Senior counsel Sidharth Luthra and advocate Rahul Balaji, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the FIR was registered without obtaining the mandatory prior approval from the governor under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Rahul Balaji said the FIR is nothing but a “complete work of fiction” and noted that conferences have been organised at the particular venue several times and the charges were not true.
The judge adjourned the hearing to November 6, 2026.