HC quashes cases against ex-DMK minister, AIADMK MLA

The Madras High Court today quashed all cases against 49 persons, including former DMK minister and Kanyakumari district partysecretary Suresh Rajan and AIADMK MLA Thanga Tamilselvan, registered under Representation of People Act and IPC while submitting bulk applications for inclusion of names in electoral rolls.
Justice C.T.Selvam of the Court's Madurai Bench said if the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) found discrepancy in Form Six (application for inclusion in electoral roll), he could have rejected them.
Without a making proper inquiry about forgery and impersonation, cases could not be registered, he said. The petitioners submitted that they merely forwarded the applications in May, 2005 for inclusion of new voters after the Election Commission relaxed the norms for submitting the applications.

The ERO filed cases against them for various reasons such as not finding the applicants in the address mentioned in the forms, applicants were below 18 and applicants' signature had been forged.
Without sending the forms to forensic experts, the forgery cases had been filed against them. The cases were pending in various districts including Theni and Kanyakumari.
The petitioners submitted that it was a clear case of political vendetta and misuse and abuse of power and sought quashing of the cases.