DMK president M. Karunanidhi has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to quash summons issued by the Judicial Magistrate, Tiruvarur, for his appearance on March 7. The summons was pursuant to a complaint by the Returning Officer of Tiruvarur constituency in the Assembly elections in 2011.
Mr. Karunanidhi submitted that the Returning Officer had filed a complaint against him with the Judicial Magistrate for allegedly failing to furnish particulars of certain property in his nomination papers and the affidavit. Hence, he had committed an offence under Section 125-A of the Representation of the People Act read with Section 177 of IPC, which attracted punishment of imprisonment extending up to six months. The DMK leader submitted that the filing of the complaint was a vindictive action taken belatedly by the officers of the local government, “just for the purpose of humiliating and harassing” him. He had contested 11 general elections in Tamil Nadu. He was elected Chief Minister five times.
He had not concealed any information while filing the nomination. No voter or a rival candidate had alleged that he had filed false details or information in the nomination.
The property which was said to have been omitted in the affidavit was the place where his mother’s memorial had been built. There was no allegation in the complaint that he was getting any income from the property.
No reason was stated or motive alleged for concealing the existence of the property in his possession. The complaint had been filed on December 31 last year. The magistrate took cognisance of it on January 3 this year. The cognisance was illegal and totally without jurisdiction, the petitioner said.
