Chennai, Sep 7 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) and state Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi on Thursday requested Madras High Court judge Anand Venkatesh to rescue himself from hearing a suo moto revision petition taken up by him against the acquittal of the minister and his family members in a disproportionate assets case.

The petition was filed before Justice Venkatesh on Thursday by senior Supreme Court counsel Siddharth Luthra representing DVAC and advocate N.R. Elango representing the minister.

The advocates told Justice Venkatesh that it would be appropriate for some other judge to hear the suo moto revision petition as the judge has already made strong observations in the order passed by him on August 10.

Luthra in his submission said that the court had taken up the suo moto revision petition even before the expiry of the period within which the DVAC could file an appeal challenging the acquittal.

Justice Venkatesh interjected and asked whether the DVAC was moving an appeal to which Luthra replied that the DVAC was processing and examining it.

The counsel for the Ponmudi said that his client was not party to the high court administration transferring the case from Villupram to Vellore. He also said that unless he was served with the copies of the materials which culminated in the transfer of the case from one district to another, he would not be in a position to speak about it.

Advocate Elango also placed a request for listing the suo motu revision petition before some other judge of the Madras High Court.

Justice Venkatesh had taken up the suo motu case on August 10 after finding that the high court had transferred the trial from one district to another by way of administrative orders even though such orders could be made only through judicial orders.