Chennai,  AIADMK leader and Member of Parliament CVe Shanmugham petitioned Madras High Court requesting a CBI investigation into the ransacking of party office on July 11, the day of the General council meeting of the party.

Madras High Court on Thursday ordered notice to the Greater Chennai Police on the plea from the former law minister. Shanmugham has, in his plea, stated that the faction close to O. Panneerselvam had ransacked the party office on July 11 and that important documents were stolen from the office during the incident.

Justice N. Satish Kumar of the Madras High court gave time till August 25 for Additional Public Proseuctor E. Tilakraj to obtain response from the police on the notice.

Shanmugham in his plea said that AIADMK was formed in 1972 and that it was in power for 32 years out of its 50 years in existence. The petitioner said that former Chief Minister and then coordinator of AIADMK, O. Panneerselvam had moved court against the conduct of the general council meeting fearing that some of the decisions in the general council would be against him.

However, a single bench dismissed his plea at 9 a.m. and shortly afterward at 9.15 a.m., the party general council meet commenced at a hall in Vangaram on the outskirts of Chennai. CVe Shanmugham in his petition said that minutes before the pronouncement of the verdict, O. Panneerselvam reached the AIADMK headquarters along with his supporters and ransacked the office.

The petitioner said that the supporters of the former Chief Minister had broken open the doors to enter the office and had looted several documents, including bank passbooks and registration papers of 37 vehicles owned by the party. He said that petty cash of Rs 31,000 was also looted from the office and the mob had damaged two vehicles in the office.

CVe Shanmugham in his petition said that the office was sealed by the Revenue Divisional officer in pursuant to the violence and said that he was able to gain entry into the party office only after the RDOs orders were quashed by the court.

He said that he had lodged a complaint with the local police citing all the incidents but even an FIR was not lodged against the perpetrators of violence and loot. He informed the court that he had lodged the complaint on July 23 but the police had not even registered an FIR despite the fact that such a complaint could lead to action under cognizable offense.

The former Tamil Nadu law minister said that the police did not even bother to visit the party office that was ransacked and said that the state police favours O. Panneerselvam, and hence he wanted a CBI investigation into the case.