Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and its president G.K. Mani have filed individual writ appeals before the Madras High Court challenging the refusal of a single judge to interfere with an inquiry initiated by the State government to recover the alleged loss incurred by the public exchequer when State-run liquor shops were burnt and government buses were damaged during the 2013 Marakkanam violence.
Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy on Thursday adjourned the hearing on the writ appeals to Monday at the request of appellants’ counsel K. Balu.
The PMK had preferred the appeal against an order passed by Justice S.M. Subramaniam who had directed the Commissioner of Revenue Administration to proceed with the inquiry and complete it within four months.
Disposing of a 2014 writ petition filed by the party, the single judge had on September 23 last year directed the PMK too to cooperate in early completion of the inquiry without availing unnecessary adjournments since the issue was pending for eight years. The judge ordered that in case of non-cooperation by the party in completing the inquiry, such non-cooperation should also be recorded.
The inquiry against PMK had been initiated for having allegedly caused loss of revenue due to non-operation of government buses in full strength between April 25 and May 9 of 2013 when violence broke out in northern districts after a tussle between PMK cadres and others near Marakkanam in Villuppuram district. The violence escalated pursuant to the detention of PMK founder S. Ramadoss.
Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations, the judge had held that it was up to the party to defend itself before the Commissioner. Subsequently on October 4, 2021, the judge passed a common order rejecting as many as 13 writ petitions filed by PMK president G.K. Mani in 2013 against the inquiry for having reportedly caused huge loss to the State due to burning of liquor shops in various districts.
It was reported to the court that eight liquor shops in Salem, Perambalur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Dharmapuri were burnt causing a loss of over ₹24 lakh. Five shops in Namakkal, Nagapattinam, Krishnagiri, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore had to be closed fearing damage and thereby the State incurred revenue loss. The judge refused to interfere with this inquiry too and hence the appeals.
