Probe plea on Vijay affidavit thrown out

The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a probe into the financial disclosures made by actor-politician Joseph Vijay in his nomination affidavit for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala Dharmadhikari and Justice Arul Murugan rejected the plea filed by Chennai resident MP Venkatesh, which alleged suppression and misrepresentation of financial details in Vijay’s Form 26 affidavit submitted for the Perambur constituency.

The petitioner had sought directions for a preliminary inquiry by multiple agencies, including the Income Tax Department, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Election Commission of India, claiming that the affidavit contained contradictory disclosures.

According to the petition, Vijay had reported high-value financial transactions, including loans worth several crores extended to family members and associated entities, while at the same time declaring zero liabilities.

The petitioner argued that such disclosures were misleading and failed to meet the statutory requirement of full and transparent reporting under election laws.

The plea also highlighted specific transactions, including a loan exceeding Rs 12 crore to his spouse and substantial transfers to a trust, alleging that these lacked adequate explanation regarding their nature and source of funds.

Citing Section 33A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the petitioner contended that incomplete or inaccurate disclosures violated a voter’s right to information, which is protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

A time-bound inquiry and submission of a status report before polling were also sought. However, the High Court declined to entertain the plea and dismissed it without ordering any probe.

The development comes even as a separate petition raising similar concerns over discrepancies in Vijay’s election affidavits remains pending before the High Court. In that case, the Bench had earlier issued notices on April 20 to the Election Commission of India and the Income Tax Department, observing that more than Rs 100 crore allegedly remained undisclosed in one of the affidavits.

Vijay, who launched his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in 2024, is making his electoral debut in the 2026 Assembly polls, contesting from Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchi East.