All India Samuthuva Makkal Katchi leader and actor Sarathkumar has approached the Madras High Court, seeking a direction to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to return ₹9 lakh, seized from him during the 2016 Assembly elections, either by way of a cheque or demand draft and not in cash, since those currency notes had been subsequently demonetised.
Since the cash seized from him comprised the old ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes, which were demonetised overnight on November 8, the petitioner said that he initially filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking a direction to the CEO, the Thoothukudi Collector as well as the Tiruchendur Returning Officer to return the money to him by way of a cheque or demand draft.
Justice M. Duraiswamy dismissed the writ petition on the ground that the Supreme court had restrained all High Courts from entertaining, hearing or deciding “any writ petition/proceedings on the issue or in relation to or arising from the decision of the Government of India to demonetize the old notes of ₹500 and ₹1,000.”
Challenging the single judge’s order, Mr. Sarathkumar has filed a writ appeal contending that his case was not against demonetisation per se but was only related to the consequences that have followed. He pointed out that there would be no use in getting back the same currency notes that were seized.
His appeal is listed before a Division Bench of Justices Rajiv Shakdher and N. Sathish Kumar on Monday.
