Newdelhi: The Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by senior DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu minister K N Nehru challenging a Madras High Court decision to order an FIR against him in connection with an alleged ₹634-crore cash-for-jobs scam.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu concluded that there were no sufficient grounds to overturn the high court's judgments from February 20 and October 26.
The legal proceedings stem from allegations tied to the period when Nehru served as the head of Tamil Nadu's Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department throughout the DMK government's 2021-26 term.
Previously, the high court had rejected Nehru's request to review its order directing the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption to initiate a case utilizing information supplied by the Enforcement Directorate. At the same time, a review petition submitted by the state government was disposed of following its withdrawal.
In its previous rulings, the high court emphasized that its directive was restricted entirely to registering a case and beginning an inquiry. The judiciary clarified that no individual's guilt had been established, noting that such a determination was impossible at this initial procedural stage.
The high court explained that statements within its order merely detailed the Enforcement Directorate's assertions rather than final judicial conclusions. Investigators and subsequently a criminal trial court would ultimately determine whether the evidence holds up and whether Nehru or his family members played any role in the contested activities.
With the Supreme Court declining to step in, the high court's original instructions calling for the formal registration of the case and an ongoing investigation into the matter remain fully active.