Chennai, Sept 29:
DMK treasurer and Lok Sabha floor leader T R Baalu has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking directions to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to summon and question Chief Minister Vijay and Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and C T R Nirmal Kumar over their allegations that the DMK had protected Gem Veeramani, an accused in a POCSO case.
Vijay had alleged that the DMK protected Gem Veeramani in the POCSO case. Minister Aadhav Arjuna alleged that the DMK not only protected him but also improperly closed the case against him. Law Minister Nirmal Kumar alleged that the DMK had received Rs 500 crore from Gem Veeramani in return for protecting him.
Baalu has submitted that the allegations made by the Chief Minister and the two ministers are directly connected with the SIT investigation. He has therefore sought directions to the SIT to summon them and obtain the evidence, documents and information on which their allegations are based.
The petition has also raised questions over whether the three have evidence to substantiate their allegations and, if so, why such material has not been handed over to the investigating officers. It has sought to ascertain whether they had unauthorised access to confidential investigation documents and whether information from such documents was disclosed in the public domain.
Baalu has further sought immediate collection and preservation of evidence in the case involving a minor. He has urged action under the POCSO Act and applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita if the allegations are found to be false, legally required information was withheld or confidential details of the investigation were disclosed without authorisation. The petition is expected to come up for hearing shortly.