CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday asked why AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy can’t be examined as a defence witness in the Kodanad heist cum murder occurred in 2017, as he is not holding the post of chief minister now.
Justice PV Velmurugan raised the query when the revision petitions filed by three accused – D Dheebu, MS Satheesan and A Santhosh Sami – against the April 30, 2021 order of the principal sessions court in The Nilgiris rejecting their plea for summoning Palaniswami, Sasikala and seven others came up for hearing. However, the court had allowed examination of the only witness, Natarajan, the manager of the Kodanad estate belonging to late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
The petitioners’ counsel submitted that the principal sessions court rejected the plea for examining Palaniswami as a defence witness saying that the petitioners could not abuse the process of law by summoning him because he was holding the post of chief minister.
Subsequently, the judge asked why can’t he be summoned for examination since he is not holding the post of chief minister now.
The judge reserved the orders on the revision petitions.