Madras HC quashes case against former minister K Pandiarajan

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court quashed a case against former minister K Pandiarajan for using late Chief Minister J Jayalaithaa’s effigy with a dummy coffin during the 2017 RK Nagar by-election campaign.

While disposing of the cases related to MP and MLAs, Justice Anand Venkatesh observed that the offences made by the prosecution had not been proved against Pandiarajan and two others. The petitioner conducted such a campaign, to avail the sympathy and the sentiments of voters, it couldn’t be exerted as to influence the voters, observed the judge.

Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971 could not be invoked against the petitioners as they had no intention to cause any disrespect to the national flag and therefore, invocation of the 1971 Act too, was unwarranted.

Subsequently, the judge quashed the case against K Pandiarajan and disposed of the petition.

In the 2017 RK Nagar by-election, Pandiarajan indulged in an election campaign for the AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) party, hit the street with the effigy of the late CM J Jayalalithaa with a dummy coffin, re-enacted the funeral. The police registered the case against Pandiarajan and others on the basis of the flying squad’s complaint, under IPC and 123 (2) of the people representation act for influencing the voters.

Challenging this, Pandiarajan moved the MHC to quash the case against him, in 2019. However, the MHC quashed all pending proceedings against Pandiarajan in connection with the event.