The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by DMK leader and party organizing secretary R.S. Bharathi against former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) demanding probe in an alleged highway tender scam. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh observed that there was no infirmity in the preliminary investigation conducted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) in 2018.
DMK leader RS Bharathi filed a petition against EPS in 2018 alleging that the latter had awarded contracts in the highway department based on favouritism when he was theChief Minister of the state.
The petitioner said that there was corruption to the tune of Rs 4800 crore, resulting in heavy losses to the exchequer. The Madras High court then ordered a CBI probe into the matter, but EPS moved the Supreme Court against the HC order, and the apex court ruled in his favour in 2022.
But unwilling to give up, R.S. Bharathi on July 6 moved the Madras High Court again seeking further investigation. A single bench of the Madras High Court dismissed the petition saying that further investigation was not required simply because of regime change.