A practising advocate, who had been booked in a goat theft case, has been appointed as government pleader at a District and Sessions Court in Tirupattur town by the TVK-led State government, inviting public outcry.
The police said the advocate has been identified as A. Sheik Sulthan, a resident of Vaniyambadi town. He was an advocate at the District Munsif Court in Vaniyambadi for many years.
Initial inquiry revealed that the complainant S. Anjala, 65, a resident of Pudhur village near Vaniyambadi town, reared goats for a living.
She filed a complaint with Vaniyambadi Town police after she noticed one of her goats missing from the shed in 2025.
CCTV camera footage, analysed by the police, showed Sulthan carrying the goat to a car near the victim’s house.
The police registered a case against Sulthan and his accomplice Thirumalai under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that criminalises theft with three years of imprisonment. A FIR copy of the case is available with The Hindu.
The police said that since then, the trial of the case is under way at Judicial Magistrate – I court in Vaniyambadi town. The next hearing is slated for July 22.
Against this backdrop, Sulthan has been appointed as government pleader at the District Court in Tirupattur. Court officials said that as a government pleader, he will appear before the court for civil cases related to government officials, including District Collector, Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) and officials of other government departments like Tangedco and revenue.
Legal experts said that filing of cases does not restrict individuals from assuming government positions because as per law, such positions cannot be occupied only when the individuals were convicted in the case filed against them. “As per law, individuals cannot assume government positions, only when they are convicted in a case against them. Otherwise, such individuals are only ‘suspects’ in cases filed against them. The State government has discretionary powers to appoint such individuals who are only suspects,” said M. Balu, secretary, Vaniyambadi Bar Association.
Published – July 06, 2026 12:12 am IST
