The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed Salem Town Police to register a case if any cognisable offence is made out in a fresh complaint by a person against a lottery baron.
Justice G.M. Akbar Ali passed the order on a petition by V.G. Balaji, who prayed the court to direct the police to register a case on his complaint in November last year.
The petitioner said he was the owner of a property at 2{+n}{+d} Agraharam in Salem Town. He was running a lottery stockist business from 1990 to 2003. He used to purchase lottery tickets in wholesale from S. Martin of Coimbatore, who was the then authorised distributor of lottery tickets in the State.
On Mr. Martin's demand for furnishing security for the sale of bulk lottery tickets, he and his brother executed a power of attorney in 2000 in his favour pertaining to the Salem property. Following a ban on lotteries in Tamil Nadu, he shifted his business to Karnataka after paying all necessary charges to Mr. Martin. When he sought the return of the property documents, Mr. Martin did not turn up, despite reminders.
