Tamil Nadu Minister for Finance and Human Resource Management Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. File picture
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Madras High Court was on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) told a “mischievous” writ petition had been filed in the court accusing Information Technology and Digital Services Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan of having “induced and misled” a Madurai-based couple to part with their 2.26 acres of land.
Appearing before Justice P.T. Asha, senior counsel V. Raghavachari, representing Madurai based chartered accountant P.V. Rajarajeswaran, said: “This is an absolutely mischievous writ petition. The petitioner has filed this case without any cause. I will expose this gentleman thoroughly.”
However, since the counsel representing the writ petitioner, Jai Balaji Subramaniyan (42), sought time to amend the prayer in his writ petition in view of certain developments, the judge, in a lighter vein, told Mr. Raghavachari: “You expose him after he files the petition for amendment.”
She directed the Registry to list the petition after the filing of the amendment plea. In his affidavit, the petitioner claimed that he and his wife R. Kalavathy owned 2.26 acres of land at Kodikulam village in Madurai East Taluk. He claimed to have purchased the property on May 20, 2024.
Though the couple was interested in converting the land into multiple residential plots, they were clueless about the statutory approvals required from multiple authorities such as the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and others.
“Acknowledging these circumstances, the honourable Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan voluntarily involved and promised that he could get the work done for us, as he had good source of people who are well conversant in all the procedures and technicalities of this matter,” the affidavit read.
The petitioner also claimed he and his wife had executed a general power of attorney in favour of the chartered accountant, at the instance of the Minister, on June 24, 2024 and handed over original title documents too on being told that they were required to obtain DTCP and RERA approval.
“However, during the month of April-May 2025, I came to know that the said power of attorney was being misused for the purpose of unlawfully alienating my property. Only then, I realized that we were being induced and misled by the Honble Minister for an unlawful gain,” the petitioner alleged.
He also said that a writ petition was filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court last year against the refusal of Madurai North Sub Registrar to register a deed for revoking the power of attorney and that the Bench had passed an interim order in his favour on May 8, 2025.
Further, alleging that steps were taken to sell the property to a private firm using a fabricated life certificate issued by a government doctor, the petitioner said, he had also got the Othakadai police in Madurai register a First Information Report (FIR) on October 14, 2025 regarding the fabricated life certificate.
Thereafter, the petitioner had approached the Lok Ayukta on December 19, 2025 accusing the Minister of having absued his official position and filed the present writ petition seeking a direction to the Lok Ayukta to dispose of his complaint in accordance with law.
Though the writ petition was filed in the High Court Registry on January 23, 2026; it got numbered on February 2, 2026 and listed for admission on Wednesday (February 4, 2026). In the meantime, the petitioner had received a show cause notice from the Lok Ayukta on January 30, 2026 asking why his complaint should not be rejected.
Stating there were no substantial allegations of corruption or coercion against the Minister, the Lok Ayukta wanted to why the petitioner’s complaint should not be rejected. Since the Lok Ayukta had responded after the filing of the writ petition, the counsel sought the court’s permission to amend the prayer accordingly.
Published – February 04, 2026 10:57 pm IST
