New Delhi, 29 November (HS). The Supreme Court has stayed the Madras High Court’s order to reopen the investigation into former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his relatives in a corruption case 12 years ago after acquitting them. A bench headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy ordered a stay on the Madras High Court order. The court has issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government on Panneerselvam’s petition and directed it to file its reply within four weeks.
Madras High Court, taking suo motu cognizance, had ordered resumption of investigation in the case against Panneerselvam. The High Court had directed the trial court to frame charges in this case and conduct daily hearings and complete the trial by June 2025.
In fact, on December 3, 2012, the Sivagangai trial court had ordered the acquittal of Panneerselvam on the grounds that the state government had refused to prosecute.
