Tamil Nadu: HC dismisses PIL against Jaya's removal as CM

Tamil Nadu, Oct 9: A PIL challenging the change of Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu with the swearing in of O Panneerselvam as Chief Minister was dismissed by a Madras High Court on Thursday. O Panneerselvam took over as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was convicted in an illegal assets case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M Sathyanarayanan dismissed the PIL filed by an advocate, Prabhakaran, observing that he had no locus standi.

The petitioner had contended that Jayalalithaa, sentenced to four years imprisonment by a Bangalore court attracting disqualification as MLA under Representation of Peoples Act, had not attracted disqualification (as Chief Minister) and Panneerselvam taking oath as CM was usurpation of office.

Disqualification as a member of assembly would only result in the person losing the membership of the legislature and not the ministership, he had submitted.

In the petition it was requested that Jayalalithaa should be declared as the Chief Minister based on the oath of Secrecy taken by her on May 16, 2014.

(With inputs from agencies)