Madras HC restrains Stalin, Palaniswami from talking about Kodanad case

The Madras High Court Tuesday restrained DMK president M K Stalin and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami from talking about the Kodanad heist and murder case.

Justice GK Ilanithiraiyan issued the order while closing a contempt petition filed by City Public Prosecutor (CPP) A Natarajan against Stalin for flouting an earlier oral order of the court.

The judge had given the oral order on a petition by Natarajan seeking the court to restrain the DMK leader from making any speech regarding the Kodanad case during the campaigning for Lok Sabha elections.

On April 5, Justice Ilanithiraiyan had said the CPP can record the remarks, if any, made by Stalin and produce the footage before the court.

Natarajan Tuesday produced a video of Stalin's speeches related to the Kodanad heist and murder case.

Stalin's counsel informed the court that Palaniswami also spoke about the case and it was published in newspapers.

The judge then directed both Stalin and Palaniswami to not speak about the Kodanad case which is pending in a court in Nilgiris district.

On April 23, 2017, the security guard of the Kodanad estate, the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's retreat home in the hilly district of the Nilgiris, was murdered in a robbery attempt by a 10-member gang.

It emerged during the probe that Jayalalithaa's former driver C Kanagaraj and Sayan had allegedly plotted the crime.