Petition seeks CBI probe into minister influencing judge issue

Chennai A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a CBI 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 MP 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.