The Madras High Court has questioned the demand for a CBI probe into the enrollment of A.G. Perarivalan as an advocate and directed the petitioner to remove the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the list of respondents in the case.
The petition was filed by Congress MP R. Sudha, challenging Perarivalan’s enrollment as an advocate after his release in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The petitioner contended that Perarivalan was not acquitted of the charges but was released following delays in deciding his mercy petition, and sought a declaration that his enrollment was illegal.
Hearing the matter, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan observed that the law permits individuals convicted in criminal cases to enroll as advocates two years after completing their sentence and release.
The judges questioned what irregularity had occurred in Perarivalan’s enrollment and how a CBI investigation could be justified in the matter. The court directed the Bar Council of India, the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and Perarivalan to file their responses, and adjourned the case by four weeks.
