Ministers are expected to be clean in the eyes of the public. The belief that action will be taken against those in power is something the people should uphold. Justice Anand Venkatesh expressed this view while delivering his judgment against I. Periyasamy in a case related to land allocation.
One of the top leaders of the DMK is I. Periyasamy. He served as a significant minister in the cabinets of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi and now serves as the Minister for Cooperation in the cabinet of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. His resignation was a crucial factor in strengthening the victory of the DMK in the Nadigar Sangam elections.
During the DMK government from 2006 to 2011, I. Periyasamy held the position of Minister of Housing. In 2008, when he was the Minister of Housing in the Tamil Nadu government, I. Periyasamy was accused of misusing his power by concealing his ownership of a house allotted by the Housing Department. This led to allegations against Ganesh, who was the then Inspector General of Police appointed as the vigilance officer by Chief Minister Karunanidhi.
The accusations against I. Periyasamy led to a case being filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in 2012 during the AIADMK government. In this situation, Minister I. Periyasamy himself sought an inquiry into the cases filed against him by the CBI and the CVC in a special court.
The proceedings continued for years. It was declared that there was no irregularity in the allocation of houses and that there was no decrease in the market price. There was no evidence to support the claim that he was a silent partner in the ownership of a private house allotted to him by his predecessor, Chief Minister Karunanidhi.
Regarding the charge against I. Periyasamy, Ranjithkumar, a senior public prosecutor, stated, “Approval from the Chief Minister is required to continue the case against a government servant who receives a salary from the government. This is what the High Court has decided.”
Responding to this, Justice Anand Venkatesh said, “The allegations against the government servant must be heard only with the approval of the magistrate, as mandated by law. The High Court has clarified this.”
He also pointed out that there was no evidence to proceed with the inquiry, and there was no need for further investigation.
In conclusion, Justice Anand Venkatesh acquitted Minister I. Periyasamy and dismissed the plea for further investigation, stating that the case clearly demonstrated the functioning of the Department of Land Allocation. He emphasized that this case was the reason for the High Court itself to conduct the investigation. He noted that without proper approval, the case could not proceed. This observation reinforced the role of the judiciary.
Minister I. Periyasamy was relieved of his charges, and the Department of Land Allocation, under his leadership, was vindicated. However, the department’s head, P.S. Raman, stated in his initial report that I. Periyasamy’s name was not mentioned. He clarified that the name was added only when the charge sheet was filed.
The Chief Magistrate’s approval was not obtained to continue the proceedings, as required by law. This prompted the Special Court to dismiss the case. The judiciary is directing that no further action can be taken without obtaining proper approval. This observation reflects the importance of the role of the judiciary in upholding justice and fairness.
Justice Anand Venkatesh reiterated that Minister I. Periyasamy should be clean in the eyes of the people and that action should be taken against those in power, if required. He also directed that further inquiries into the case should not be initiated without proper approval.
The special court must change the investigation of this case from March 26 to the Madras High Court to investigate other cases against MPs and MLAs.