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Minister influencing judge: Petition seeks CBI probe

July 04, 2009 12:32 IST

A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the charge by a Judge of the court that a Union minister had called him trying to influence him in a pending criminal case.

Contending that by attempting to influence Justice R Regupathy, the unnamed minister 'committed gross impropriety' and violated his oath of office and secrecy as a minister of the Union Cabinet, the petitioner K R Ramaswamy alias Traffic Ramaswamy, a social worker, prayed for a direction to the Prime Minister to take appropriate action against the minister by removing him from the Cabinet.

The petitioner also sought a direction to the secretary of the Lok Sabha to initiate action against the minister for violating his oath as a Member of Parliament pending disposal of the petition.

He also prayed for a direction to the Centre and Tamil Nadu government to take appropriate and necessary action to prevent 'undue, unnecessary and unwanted interference' in judicial activities in the state.