The Madras High Court on Friday allowed a petition filed by Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy in 2015 and quashed a criminal case booked against him in June 2011 for having allegedly made certain objectionable remarks against the then Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, while addressing a public meeting.
Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira quashed the case after the Minister claimed that he had not used any obscene words or indulged in criminal intimidation as alleged in the charge sheet filed by the Tiruvarur Town police in 2012. But AIADMK town secretary R. Dakshinamurthy filed the complaint owing to political animosity.
The petitioner stated that he had only condemned the then AIADMK government for undoing the good work of the previous DMK government. Highlighting his credentials of having been a government college professor and a Minister during different periods, he denied the charge that he had spoken ill of the former Chief Minister.
Allowing yet another petition filed by Pattali Makkal Katchi leader Anbumani Ramadoss in 2015, Justice Chandira quashed a case booked against him in 2014 for having allegedly distributed compact discs containing materials aimed at inciting enmity between different caste groups during the Dharmapuri election campaign.
In the quash petition, Mr. Ramadoss had denied all the allegations levelled against him. His counsel K. Balu stated that the police had laid a charge sheet against him with the ulterior motive of tarnishing his image and reputation and demeaning his political career. He said the case itself had been registered only because of political vendetta.
