Madras High Court orders handing over of AIADMK headquarters keys to Edappadi K. Palaniswami
The Hindu
It quashes RDO’s orders locking and sealing AIADMK office in Chennai
The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed orders passed by South Chennai Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) on July 11 locking and sealing the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) headquarters in Chennai due to violence between party cadres.
Justice N. Sathish Kumar quashed the orders passed by the RDO, in her capacity as Executive Magistrate, under Sections 145(1) and 146 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He ordered that the keys of the office should be handed over to interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Both Mr. Palaniswami and expelled leader O. Panneerselvam had filed individual petitions challenging the RDO's proceedings. Though Mr. Palaniswami had insisted that the keys should be handed over to him, the judge rejected such request.
In his affidavit, Mr. Palaniswami had said the party apprehended an attack by Mr. Panneerselvam and his men at its headquarters during the general council meet at Vanagaram near Chennai to renounce dual leadership and elect a single leader.
Therefore, the party’s organising secretary D. Jayakumar submitted a representation to the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner on July 8, seeking police protection at the headquarters. However, the police protection was not accorded and the police never acted on the complaint, the petitioner alleged.
The petitioner also said he was the headquarters secretary in charge too, besides his current position of the interim general secretary, and on the day of violence, he, the office manager and other staff were in Vanagaram to attend the general council meet and, hence, the party office was locked.
Recalling that Mr. Panneerselvam had filed a case against the conduct of the general council meet and that the orders in that case was pronounced by the High Court, minutes before the meet commenced, the petitioner accused the former of storming into the party headquarters fearing that the verdict would go against him.
The Deputy Commissioner and the Election Officer for Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency M. P. Mullai Muhilan said here on Friday that over 600 staff will be involved in the counting of votes cast in the April 26 elections, at the counting centre at the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka, Surathkal, on June 4.