Madras High Court dismisses Senthilbalaji’s plea to prevent police from ‘harassing’ him and his brother
The Madras High Court dismissed a plea from former DMK Minister V. Senthilbalaji seeking to prevent police from harassing him and his brother. The court ruled that the request was premature as the petitioners had already secured anticipatory bail.
Why it matters
The ruling clarifies the limits of legal protection against police investigation for public figures facing corruption allegations.
The Madras High Court on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) dismissed two petitions filed by former DMK Minister V. Senthilbalaji and his brother R.V. Ashok Kumar to restrain Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC), Greater Chennai Police and Karur police from “harassing” them “in the guise of search, inquiry or investigation” in any pending or proposed criminal case.
Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan said, no such direction could be issued since the petitioners had already obtained anticipatory bail in the pending cases and it would be premature to issue such a direction by anticipating the registration of criminal cases against them in the future. The pleas were rejected following stiff opposition by State Public Prosecutor (SPP) R. John Sathyan.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in