Maheswaran v. The State Of Tamilnadu

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 24.03.2026 CORAM :

THE HON`BLE MR.JUSTICE B.PUGALENDHI Maheswaran ... Petitioner Vs.

The State of Tamil Nadu Represented by the Inspector of Police, Vigilance and Anticorruption, Dindigul District.

Crime No.3 of 2017

...Respondent

Prayer : Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, to direct the Principal District and Sessions Court, Dindigul to conclude the case in Spl.CC No.1 of 2019, within a time frame that may be fixed by this Court.

For Petitioner : Mr.D.Venkatesh For Respondents : Mr.T.Senthil Kumar Additional Public Prosecutor 1/6

O R D E R

The petitioner/accused in Spl. CC No.1 of 2019 on the file of the Principal District and Sessions Court, Dindigul has filed this Criminal Original Petition, seeking a direction to the trial Court to conclude the proceedings in CC No.1 of 2019 within a stipulated time. 2.The respondent police has registered a case in Crime No.3 of 2017 as against this petitioner in the year 2017, for the offence under Sections 7, 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 that this petitioner/Junior Engineer of TANGEDCO has received a sum of Rs.8,000/- as illegal gratification from the defacto complainant for providing temporary EB connection to him. After investigation, the respondent police has filed the final report in the year 2019 and it was also taken on file in Spl.CC No.1 of 2019. Now, the case has been transferred from the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Dindigul to the Principal District Court and Sessions Court and the same is still pending. On a trap conducted on 22.06.2017, he was arrested by the respondent police.

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3.The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has entered appearance on 14.05.2019. PW1 was examined on 06.09.2019 and he was cross examined on 25.09.2019. Thereafter, witness summons was issued to LW 2 on 01.11.2019, however, LW 2 was not examined so far and the trial is pending without any progress for the past six years. According to the learned counsel, in view of long pendency of the case, the petitioner is unable to get his regular service benefits and his promotional avenue is also affected. Therefore, the petitioner has approached this Court, seeking a direction to the trial Court to conclude the trial within a stipulated time. 4.

The learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent submits that several cases registered under the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Act are pending before the Principal District Court, Dindigul from the year 2014. He has also provided statistics with regard to the pendency of the cases as 15 cases are of the year 2014, 7 cases are of the year 2015 and 6 cases are of the year 2017.

the cases and issuance of direction to the trial Court to conclude the trial in one case within a stipulated time would cause inconvenience to them.

5. This Court considered the rival submissions made and also perused the report filed by the learned Additional Public Prosecutor.

6. The petitioner was arrested on a trap in the year 2017. The respondent police has taken two years to complete the investigation and filed the final report in the year 2019 and the same is now pending in Spl.CC No.1 of 2019 before the Principal District and Sessions Court, Dindigul. This is how the respondent Department has given breathing time to the petitioner, by prolonging the investigation for a period of two years. Now, the case is pending with the trial Court for the past six years. Even according to the petitioner, the examination and cross-examination of PW 1 alone has been completed as on date. The case is posted to 22.04.2026 for examination of LW 2. A speedy trial is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Long pendency of corruption cases not only affects the accused but also tells upon the integrity of the Institution.

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7. In view of the above, the learned Judge, Principal District and Sessions Court, Dindigul is expected to give priority and conclude the trial in Spl.CC No.1 of 2019 as expeditiously as possible, not more than six months.

24.03.2026 NCC : Yes/No Index : Yes/No Internet:Yes vrn To 1.The Principal District and Sessions Court, Dindigul 2.The Inspector of Police, Vigilance and Anticorruption, Dindigul District.

3.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai.

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B.PUGALENDHI,J vrn Order made in 24.03.2026 6/6