SC TO HEAR PLEA OF DISQUALIFIED AIADMK MLAS TOMORROW

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on June 27 a plea filed by 18 disqualified AIADMK MLAs seeking transfer of their case from the Madras high court to the apex court after the split verdict by the high court.

A vacation bench of justices Arun Mishra and S K Kaul said it will hear the plea day after tomorrow.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the 18 MLAs, said it is a serious matter which requires urgent hearing as the high court has given a split verdict on June 14 and the third judge is scheduled to hear the matter afresh.

He alleged that people knew through WhatsApp about the third judge who will be hearing the case after the split verdict.

The court said, “we don’t go by WhatsApp messages and the matter will be heard on June 27”.

The Madras high court had on June 14 given a split verdict on petitionschallengingthedisqualification of 18 MLAs loyal to sidelined party leader T T V Dhinakaran, a ruling that maintained status quo in the corridors of power in Tamil Nadu.

A division bench of Madras high court comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar delivered divergent verdicts on whether the 18 MLAs deserved to be disqualified under the anti-defection law by Speaker P Dhanapal on September 18 last year for approaching the governor and seeking the removal of chief minister K Palaniswami.

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