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SC stays Madras HC order allowing CBI probe into RK Nagar bye-poll bribery

The appellants argued that the FIR was quashed by Madras High Court in March 2018 and so there was nothing more to be investigated by the CBI.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, stayed an interim order passed by the Madras High Court, which allowed DMK leader Marudu Ganesh’s plea for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the bribery allegations during the 2017 RK Nagar bye-poll. The Madras High Court had passed an interim order on January 29.

AIADMK MLA PM Narasimhan and Inspector of Abhiramapuram police station had challenged the High Court order. According to a report in The Hindu, a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant, have granted the interim stay. The Supreme Court has now granted the interim stay pursuant to individual appeals.

The appellants argued that the first information report (FIR) was quashed by a single judge of the same High Court in March 2018 and so there was nothing more to be investigated by the CBI.

Marudu Ganesh had filed a miscellaneous petition seeking a CBI probe into alleged bribery of voters leading to the cancellation of the RK Nagar bye-election in April 2017. Polls were cancelled a week before they were to be held following Income Tax raids at various places, including at properties related to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, on April 7, 2017. During the searches, various documents were seized in different places allegedly containing information on the distribution of money to voters in the constituency.

In 2017, based on a complaint by the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), an FIR was registered at Abhiramapuram police station. However, this was later quashed by a single judge bench of the High Court.

Following the death of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in December 2016, the RK Nagar seat was vacated, necessitating a bye-elections. Elections subsequently held in December 2017 saw independent candidate and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran win the polls.

(With inputs from PTI)

Source: The News Minute