MLA Fights Banner FIR in Madras High Court! #ChennaiPolitics
MLA Fights Banner FIR in Madras High Court! #ChennaiPolitics
TVK MLA ECR Saravanan challenges an FIR for unauthorized banners in Chennai's High Court. Justice allows a key petition. Get the full story!
A prominent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ECR P. Saravanan, who represents the Sholinganallur constituency, has taken a significant step by approaching the Madras High Court. He is seeking to quash a First Information Report (FIR) that was registered against him back in 2025 concerning the erection of unauthorized banners.
This move highlights the ongoing legal challenges faced by politicians over public displays. On Monday, October 12, 2026, Justice V.
Lakshminarayanan, who oversees cases involving Members of Parliament and MLAs, heard an application filed by Mr.
Saravanan. The MLA requested to be excused from producing a certified copy of the FIR, a request which the Justice granted. Following this, the High Court Registry was directed to proceed with numbering the main petition filed by the MLA, which aims to quash the FIR entirely.
This procedural step is crucial, paving the way for the core legal battle to commence. The FIR in question was registered suo motu by the Neelankarai police in Chennai on November 30, 2025. According to the police report, Sub-Inspector G.
Prabhakaran discovered several unauthorized hoardings during his routine patrol duties.
These hoardings were located in a public area near a private marriage hall on K.K.
Road.
Investigations subsequently revealed that Mr. Saravanan, along with another TVK party official named Ravi, were responsible for putting up these hoardings without obtaining the necessary permissions from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The case against the MLA and his associate has been filed under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959.
This particular Act carries serious penalties, including potential imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to ₹5,000, or even both. Given these potential repercussions, Mr. Saravanan's decision to appeal directly to the High Court for the quashing of the FIR underscores the gravity of the charges and his intent to challenge them legally.
