SC junks PIL seeking inquiry into TN Minister's alleged audio tape leaks

Aug 07, 2023, 13:20 IST

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking the formation of a Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the alleged audio tape leak case linked to former Tamil Nadu Finance Minister P.T.R. Thiagarajan.

"This is an absolutely bogus petition. This is hearsay at best," remarked a bench comprising Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud and Justices J. B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

The bench declined to entertain the public interest litigation saying that the alleged audio, referring to the family of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has no evidentiary value and the apex court should not be used as a political forum.

"What is the actionable material you have? On the basis of some audio clip you want us to have a commission of inquiry. Do not use this (court) as a political forum," Supreme Court told the petitioner, while dismissing his plea filed under Article 32 of the Constitution.

In Tamil Nadu, high profile finance minister of the state, P.T.R. Thiagarajan was divested of his ministry and given a low-profile IT portfolio. The move was connected with the audio leak in which the speaker -- alleged to be PTR -- was heard saying that Stalin's son Udayanidhi Stalin and his son-in-law Sabareesan were making huge money after the Stalin government assumed office.

Thiagarajan denied this and added that this was an artificial intelligence-created audio tape mimicking his voice. He had met the Chief Minister and conveyed his position.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had said that there was cheap politics behind the alleged audio tape leaks linked to then state Finance Minister Thiagarajan.

DMK had said that the party will not file a case against BJP leader K. Annamalai in the audio tape leak case, adding that it's up to Thiagarajan to file a case against the BJP leader as it is a personal allegation against him.

--IANS

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