TVK MLA ECR Saravanan moves Madras High Court to quash unauthorised banners FIR

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam legislator ECR P. Saravanan has petitioned the Madras High Court to quash a police case registered against him for putting up unauthorised banners along a Chennai roadway.

Saravanan, who represents the Sholinganallur assembly constituency under the name P. Saravana Murthy, appeared before Justice V. Lakshminarayanan on Monday. The judge, who holds the portfolio for criminal cases concerning Members of Parliament and the Legislative Assembly, allowed an application exempting the legislator from producing the original copy of the First Information Report and directed the High Court Registry to number the substantive quash petition.

The ruling is procedural, clearing the file for judicial consideration without ruling on whether the criminal charges should be struck out.

Why police registered the case

The case dates to 30 November 2025, when Neelankarai police took suo motu action during routine patrolling. According to the police record, Sub-Inspector G. Prabhakaran noticed large hoardings erected across public space near a private marriage hall on K.K. Road in south Chennai.

Subsequent inquiries by local police determined that the hoardings had been put up at the behest of Saravanan alongside another party functionary, identified in the complaint as Ravi. The installations lacked required permits from the Greater Chennai Corporation, prompting the patrol officer to lodge a formal complaint on behalf of the state.

Police booked both men under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959. The statute penalises the defacement of public spaces and carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine of up to ₹5,000, or both.

Civic enforcement and public order

The prosecution highlights sustained municipal and law enforcement efforts across Chennai to keep arterial roads clear of illegal political hoardings. Civic agencies have stepped up monitoring across public corridors to prevent hazardous visual clutter, enforce municipal licensing norms, and ensure that public roads remain safe for commuters and pedestrians alike.

With the procedural clearance granted by the court, the registry will list the main quashing petition for preliminary hearing, where the state public prosecutor and Saravanan's counsel will argue whether the police action meets statutory thresholds.