The Supreme Court has stayed an order passed by the Madras High Court on April 27, directing a probe by the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) into allegations of a lawyer and his family having swindled more than ₹2 crore from the compensation amount paid by the State government to families of 94 children who died in the 2004 Kumbakonam school fire tragedy.
A Bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Mohan M. Shantanagoudar granted the stay on the condition that the lawyer S. Tamilarasan deposit ₹50 lakh before the High Court within three weeks. If only 25 victim families happened to claim refund at the rate of ₹1 lakh each, as contended by the petitioner, the balance amount should be given back to the advocate after a period of three months, the judges clarified.
However, if more number of families approach the High Court accusing the lawyer of having taken their compensation money, the petitioner should deposit additional amount at the rate of ₹1 lakh per family, the apex court ordered, adding that the direction issued by the High Court to forthwith attach the bank accounts as well as properties of the lawyer and his family shall stand stayed immediately on he depositing ₹50 lakh.
The Supreme Court also stayed the operation of other directions including a direction to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to initiate appropriate action against the advocate besides ordering that he should be suspended from practice till then. The stay was granted on a special leave petition preferred by the lawyer challenging orders passed by the High Court on a contempt of court application filed by the secretary of Kumbakonam School Fire Tragedy Victims Association.
