The Madras High Court has strongly questioned Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Minister Marie Wilson over his failure to appear before the court in a 2022 case in Puducherry, in which he is accused of allegedly barging into his elder brother’s house and assaulting him and his wife, as reported in OneIndia Tamil.
Wilson had approached the Madras High Court seeking to be discharged from the case. The petition came up for hearing before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan, who reportedly questioned the minister’s position on appearing before the court.
The judge observed that Wilson had appeared in person in the case even during the tenure of former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao and questioned why his status as a minister should now prevent him from appearing.
The judge reportedly told the counsel representing Wilson: “You are not the King of England.”
The court also emphasised that everyone is equal before the law and questioned whether a person who appeared before the court before becoming a minister could refuse to appear after assuming office.
What Is The Case Against Marie Wilson?
The case relates to an incident reported on August 8, 2022, involving Wilson’s elder brother Marie Kuloth and his wife, Caroline Claude.
According to the complaint, Wilson allegedly entered their house in connection with a family property dispute, broke open the door, assaulted those inside with a wooden stick and issued death threats.
A complaint was subsequently filed with the Puducherry Police by Marie Kuloth’s side.
The case was initially registered under relatively less serious provisions. The complainant’s side later approached the court, producing material relating to the alleged assault and seeking registration of the appropriate sections.
Following the court’s directions, more serious charges were subsequently invoked in the case.
Case Transferred After Wilson Became MLA
After Wilson contested the election on a TVK ticket and was elected, the case was transferred to the special court dealing with criminal cases against Members of the Legislative Assembly.
During the proceedings, Wilson was directed to appear before the Puducherry court. The High Court, however, subsequently granted him exemption from personal appearance and referred the matter to a mediation centre for a possible settlement.
Four rounds of mediation were reportedly held between the two sides. However, the negotiations failed to result in any settlement, with the latest round ending without an agreement.
With the mediation process failing, Wilson approached the Madras High Court seeking to have the criminal proceedings against him quashed.
The High Court indicated that the petition would be examined on its merits, including the allegations and evidence in the case.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
