High court moved seeking ban on entry of MK Alagiri in southern Tamil Nadu districts

Alleging that Union minister and DMK strongman MK Alagiri was distributing money to voters, a PIL petition has been filed in the Madras high court bench seeking a ban on his entry in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

The petition, filed last evening, would be transferred to the principal bench in Chennai and listed for hearing before the chief justice.

The high court had issued a notification that all election related cases would be heard by the principal bench only.

In his petition, M Sakthikumar, an office-bearer of Advocates Association for Protecting Democracy, alleged that Alagiri, son of Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, was using youngsters including students to distribute money to the voters in the southern districts.

He submitted police had registered cases against some students for allegedly distributing money to voters and referred to seizure of unaccounted cash at various places.

Sakthikumar alleged that the Union minister, who is also the DMK South Zone organising secretary, was using the students to distribute money to voters.

Besides, a couple of revenue officials on election duty had been "coerced" to act against the district administration, the petitioner charged.

He said Election Commission was taking stringent measures to curb distribution of money during the April 13 Assembly polls considering "the bad precedent" of the 2009 Tirumangalam by-election when the "formula of giving money to voters was created."