Chennai, Jul 20 (IANS): The Madras High Court on Wednesday quashed the order of the executive magistrate to lock up the AIADMK headquarters and instead ordered the keys of the building be handed over to the party's interim General Secretary K. Palaniswami.

The South Chennai Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) had, on July 11, locked and sealed the party headquarters following clashes between the supporters of Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam, where bottles and stones were hurled against each other.

Justice P.N. Satish Kumar quashed the orders of the RDO as he heard pleas filed by both Palaniswami and Panneerselvam against the move.

Palaniswami had, in his petition, contended that the people who had accompanied Panneerselvam when he and his supporters had stormed into the building were not even party cadres. He alleged that the Chennai police had also supported the actions of Panneerselvam and his cadres and said that the whole incidents at the AIADMK headquarters on July 11 were pre-mediated.

He also said that the order of the RDO , K. Sai Vardini in her capacity as the Executive Magistrate under Section 145(1) of the CrPC, was served on him at around 6.30 p.m. on July 11. He said that there was no dispute over the ownership of the party headquarters which does not belong to an individual but to the party.

In his petition, Palaniswami also said that he was elected the interim General Secretary in a meeting convened legally on the basis of orders passed by the Madras High Court as well as the Supreme Court The AIADMK leader said that he was fully entitled to possession of the building and that the action of the RDO was totally outrageous.