Chennai, Dec 16: In a significant development, the Madras High Court (MHC) has directed the Criminal Investigation Department wing of the Crime Branch (CBCID) to submit a status report on the stolen documents from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ( AIADMK) headquarters. The case was brought to the court by CVe Shanmugam, former AIADMK minister and Rajya Sabha Member, who sought the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other agency, citing concerns about the state police’s handling of the matter.The case, presided over by Justice G Jayachandran, heard arguments from Shanmugam’s counsel, Mohamed Riyaz, who expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of the investigation conducted by the CBCID. Alleging a lack of significant developments, Riyaz argued for a transfer of the case to a more independent investigative agency.
Responding to the petition, Additional Public Prosecutor Babu Muthu Meeran, representing the CBCID, informed the court that the investigation is ongoing. He disclosed that cases have been filed against several individuals, including the ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, and that over 116 stolen documents have been recovered. Meeran requested additional time to compile and submit a detailed status report on the current progress of the investigation.
After considering the submissions, the judge directed the CBCID to file a comprehensive status report and adjourned the hearing for four weeks.
The background of the case traces back to July 11 of the previous year when a clash erupted between factions led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and O. Panneerselvam (OPS) at the AIADMK headquarters in Royapettah, Chennai. Shanmugam, having lodged a complaint at the Royapettah police station, alleged that the OPS faction forcibly entered the AIADMK headquarters and pilfered numerous documents. Unsatisfied with the police response to his complaint, Shanmugam sought the intervention of the Madras High Court to ensure a more rigorous and impartial investigation.