The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition seeking a CBI investigation into the resignation of four AIADMK MLAs, after allegations that the move involved horse-trading.
The plea was filed by advocate Ramkumar Adithan from Tiruchendur. He referred to a May 13 confidence vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, after which AIADMK submitted a letter to the Speaker seeking disqualification of 25 MLAs who had voted in support of the TAVEK government.
While that request was pending, four MLAs—Maragatham Kumaravel (Madurantakam), Jayakumar (Perundurai), Sathyabama (Dharapuram) and Isakki Subbiah (Ambasamudram)—resigned their posts and joined TAVEK in the presence of Minister Aadhav Arjuna. The petition also claimed they were issued TAVEK membership cards at the Secretariat and that they were believed to be promised seats for the by-elections.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arulmurgan held that the petition was based on conjecture and suspicion, without supporting material. The court said a CBI probe cannot be ordered on the petitioner’s belief and requires proof of at least a prima facie case, and therefore dismissed the plea.
