Madras High Court was today informed that Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister A Jayapal had stated in his reply to a showcause notice issued by the Regional Passport officer that there was no arrest warrant or summons pending against him before any court of law.
The matter pertains to the passport issued under Tatkal Scheme to the Minister.
Regional Passport Officer C.Senthil Pandian, in his counter to a writ plea seeking a direction to the RPO to take action against the minister for allegedly suppressing facts of criminal case against him in his passport application, said Jayapal had stated that though a case was registered against him and filed before the Judicial Magistrate-I, Nagapattinam, no warrant of arrest or summons were served against him and no charge sheet filed.
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The First Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sathish K. Agnihotri and Justice M.M. Sunderesh, posted the matter after a week for further hearing.
Kaliyamurthy of Thiruvarur district had filed the petition alleging that the Minister was facing criminal case in the Ist Judicial Magistrate Court, Nagapattinam, and suppressed the facts in his passport application and sought a direction to RPO to take action against him.
The First Bench had directed the RPO to file the reply when the petition came up before it.
