In a relief to expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa, the Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed an FIR and charge-sheet filed against her for allegedly forging documents in her anticipatory bail petition.
The top court also granted her protection from any coercive action in two other criminal cases related to alleged sexual harassment of her family help and damage to property.
A Bench of justices R. Banumathi and S. Abdul Nazeer said there was no prima facie evidence to show that the appellants (Ms. Pushpa and others) had intended to cause damage or injury or any other acts.
“Since the disputed version in the vakalatnama appears to be an inadvertent mistake with no intention to make misrepresentation, in our view, the direction of the High Court to lodge a criminal complaint against the appellants cannot be sustained and the same is liable to be set aside,” it said.
‘No useful purpose’
It said with regard to the facts and circumstances of the present case, no useful purpose would be served by proceeding with the criminal prosecution against Pushpa and others.
“The FIR and the charge sheet are quashed only in the facts and circumstances of the present case and to meet the ends of justice. It is made clear that taking advantage of quashing of the case, the appellants shall not resort to any further consequential proceedings,” the bench said.
Harassment case
In the sexual harassment case against Ms. Pushpa and others, the Bench was told that the accused had reached a compromise with the victim and based on it they have moved the High Court for quashing of the case.
“We are not inclined to go into the merits of the said matter, except to extend interim protection granted to the appellants in Crime No.5/2016 till the disposal of the said case,” it said.
The top court, while dealing with the third case of damage to properties against Pushpa and others, said that anticipatory bail has already been granted to her and others.
In September 26, 2016, the apex court asked Ms. Pushpa to join the probe in the cases lodged against her.
She had approached the apex court against the order of the Madras High Court rejecting her plea for anticipatory bail in the sexual harassment case and directing registration of the case for allegedly forging documents while filing anticipatory bail plea.
Acting on directions of Madras High Court bench, police registered cases against Ms. Pushpa and her two family members for allegedly submitting forged documents while filing anticipatory bail petitions in the case pertaining to ill-treatment and sexual abuse of two women domestic aides.
The cases were registered against Ms. Pushpa, her husband R Lingeswara Thilagam and son Pradeep Raja.