In what appears to be a major relief to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the state’s lower courts, the Tamil Nadu government and the Election Commission not to initiate action against the AIADMK chief who allegedly filed nomination papers from four constituencies during the 2001 assembly election in the state. A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan directed the authorities to maintain status quo as of Tuesday. The court also asked the respondents to file their replies to the petition which challenged the registration of cases by the EC against Ms Jayalalitha.
Two petitions filed
The EC on Monday filed two petitions in two lower courts in Tamil Nadu against Ms Jayalalitha for filing nominations from more than two constituencies in 2001. On the directions of the commission, Returning Officer A Selvamani of the Bhuvanagiri assembly constituency in 2001 had filed a petition before a judicial magistrate in Chidambaram in Cuddalore district, seeking action against the former chief minister.
The magistrate, however, said she had no territorial jurisdiction to deal with the case. Mr Selvamani then filed his petition in the Parangipettai magistrate’s court in the same district. Mohan, polling officer for Pudukkottai constituency, also filed a similar petition in the Pudukottai judicial magistrate’s court against Ms Jayalalitha.