Khushi Bajpai
Published on: July 21 ,2022 20:55 IST
The Madras High Court mandated that Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS), the party’s recently appointed interim general secretary, be given control of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) headquarters in Chennai.
Following skirmishes between their followers on July 11, which resulted to the sealing of the building in Royapettah in Chennai, both Palaniswami and expelled leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) filed court.
The case led by Justice N Sathish Kumar overturned the Revenue Divisional Officer’s (RDO) order to lock and seal the property in accordance with Sections 145 and 146 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code and ordered the police to provide the building with sufficient band bust and protection 24 hours a day.
The Court further ordered EPS to deny access to any cadres or sympathizers for a month commencing on Wednesday in light of the factional strife between the two parties.
The dual leadership of EPS and OPS as joint coordinator and coordinator was eliminated, and OPS and his supporters were expelled, at a general council meeting of the AIADMK convened on July 11 in Vanagaram, on the outskirts of Chennai.
OPS and his supporters, who had abstained from the meeting, headed to the AIADMK headquarters, where they got into a fight with EPS’s supporters.
It was observed by the Court that, “the facts unequivocally demonstrate that both orders made in accordance with Sections 145 and 146(1) “suffer from non-application of mind.”
The preliminary investigation “did not represent the application of mind as to who was in possession or none of them are in possession, or she (RDO) was not able to determine who was in possession,” the court stated.