SC to hear on April 8 TN Min’s plea against HC order

New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Friday it will hear on April 8 the plea of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy challenging the Madras High Court order for his trial in a corruption case.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra said it will take up the matter for hearing on Monday after Periyasamy’s counsel pleaded for urgent hearing.In an application filed through advocate Ram Sankar, Periyasamy sought the apex court’s direction for deferment of trial and exemption from personal appearance in the graft case before a Chennai court.

The minister’s has appealed against the February 26 order of the high court, which set aside the March 17, 2023 discharge order of the trial court.

The apex court had on March 18 noted that senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, argued that prior sanction for his prosecution under Section 197 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was required to be obtained from the state governor, who under the law

is the competent authority to grant such sanction.

Sibal had submitted that in this case, the sanction for Periyasamy’s prosecution was issued by the state assembly speaker and was limited to the allegation under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.