Justice G Jayachandran Of Madras HC Asks What Procedure Was Followed To Number Suo Moto Revision Petitions Against Ministers, Next Hearing On 8 Jan

Justice G Jayachandran of the Madras High Court today sought a reply from the Registrar General on the procedure followed to number the criminal revision petitions regarding the acquittal/discharge of ministers K Ponmudy, I Periyasamy, KKSSR Ramachandran, Thangam Thennarasu and former ministers O Panneerselvam and B Valarmathi that were taken up by Justice N Anand Venkatesh earlier this year, reported The Hindu.

He also sought to know if they were placed before a three-judge committee as decided by a Division Bench of the High Court in an earlier ruling or if that ruling was only applicable to Public Interest Litigations (PILs) and not criminal revision petitions.

All the petitions have now been listed on 8 January.

However, it is not known as to which judge will be allotted the MP/MLA portfolio during the scheduled reshuffle on 2 January 2024. Justice Jayachandran had taken up these cases after Justice Anand Venkatesh, who earlier held the portfolio was sent to the Madurai Bench of the High Court during the previous reshuffle.

Earlier, Justice Jayachandran had agreed to make the Registrar General one of the respondents in a plea by Ponmudy. Ponmudy's counsel had sought the inclusion stating that his client had nothing to do with the transfer of the case from one district court to another through an administrative order by the Chief Justice.

Justice Anand Venkatesh, in his observations, had stated that such a transfer should have been done through judicial orders and not administrative orders.

Also Read: Supreme Court Refuses To Interfere In Madras HC's Suo Moto Revision Of DMK Minister Ponmudy's Acquittal; CJI Praises Justice N Anand Venkatesh