HC rejects former minister's plea for transfer of DSP in TN

The Madras High Court Friday dismissed a plea by a former Tamil Nadu minister, who is the election agent of Congress nominee in Karur Lok Sabha constituency, for transferring a senior police official for allegedly acting in favour of the ruling AIADMK.

A division bench comprising Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad pointed to Supreme Court orders on several occasions that the Election Commission (EC) was the appropriate authority to determine such issues and courts cannot sit on appeal over the decision of the poll body.

Former minister Senthil Balaji, the agent of Congress' nominee Jyothimani, had moved the court seeking a direction to the EC to shift Karur Deputy Superintendent of Police Kumbaraja from the district till the Lok Sabha polls were over.

He submitted the DSP was biased and did not take action on his complaint about alleged violation of model code of conduct by AIADMK candidate M Thambidurai, the deputy speaker in the outgoing Lok Sabha, while filing his nomination.

Balaji, who was formerly with the AIADMK and now the Karur District Secretary in-charge of DMK, further alleged that the DSP had served in various posts in the district for the past 10 years and was close to the ruling party members and hence acted in a biased manner.

Rejecting the contentions, the bench observed that the averments were bald and not supported by any material and merely because the DSP was in Karur district for a long time, it cannot be a ground to infer there was likelihood of bias.

Meanwhile, Justice R Subramanian of the court granted anticipatory bail to Balaji and seven others in connection with a case filed against them for allegedly attacking a rival party functionary in Karur on March 29.