A.D. Jagadish Chandira, J.

The petitioner is a Member of Parliament and the Organising Secretary of the DMK Party seeking directions to the first respondent to register the case and investigate the complaint dated 13.06.2018.

2. The averments in the petition is that Thiru.Edappadi K.Palanisamy is presently the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and that he holds the portfolios of Public, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Forest Service, General Administration, District Revenue Officers, Police and Home, Public Works, Irrigation including Minor Irrigation, Programme Works and Highways and Minor Ports. The further averment is that the State Highways Department, is implementing four lane road in Oddanchatram-Dharapuram-Avinashipalayam of State Highway-37 from 37-400 to 108-400 and that the project is implemented under Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Maintain and Transfer (DBFOMT) method and that the total stretch of the project is 70.20 Kms and that the original estimated project cost was Rs. 713.34 Crores. Whereas subsequently, the cost of the project has been has been increased to Rs. 1515 Crores (including cash grant of Rs. 315 Crores). It is averred that the project was implemented with the financial assistance of World Bank and the annuity payment for the contractor is fixed at Rs. 75 Crores for every six months for 8 years and this amount is apart from the cash grant of Rs. 315 Crores. The further averment is that the actual cost for laying one kilometer of road, according to market norms comes around Rs. 2.2 Crores per kilometer, including the contractor's profit and that if this rate is taken into calculation the cost of the project would not exceed Rs. 200 Crores, including cost increase/inflation, whereas, a sum of Rs. 1515 Crores is sanctioned towards this project. The further allegation is that this project had been allotted to M/s. Ramalingam and Company, Erode and that one Mr.Chandrakanth Ramalingam, son of Mr.Ramalingam is one of the directors in this firm apart from his father and sisters. Further averment is that, one Mr.Mithun Kumar S/o the Hon'ble Chief Minister is married to one Divya and that she has a sister by name Saranya who is the wife of Mr.Chandrakanth Ramalingam, which is in other words that Mr.Edappadi K.Palanisamy, being the Hon'ble Chief Minister and Minister for Highways had awarded a contract worth Rs. 1515 Crores to a firm owned by his son Mithun's brother in law. The next averment is in respect of the second project of four laning of Tirunelveli-Sengottai-Kollam-SH 39 from 5.000 km to 50.600 km which is a World Bank assisted project and the total stretch of the project is 45.64 km. The original estimated cost of the project was 407.6 Crores, in addition to cash grant of Rs. 179.94 Crores. The further allegation is that the project cost was subsequently revised and order was issued to implement this project at Rs. 720 Crores. The annuity payment for the contractor is fixed at Rs. 45 Crores for every six months for 8 years and this apart a cash grant of Rs. 180 Crores was granted. It is further averred that the actual cost for laying one kilometre of road, according to market norms comes around Rs. 2.2 Crores per kilometre, which includes contractor's profit. This rate would make the project implementable at an expense of not more than Rs. 130 Crores, including contractor's profit, whereas, the project is implemented at the rate of Rs. 900 Crores (including 8 years bi-annual payment of Rs. 45 Crores and cash grant of Rs. 180 Crores) and this contract had been awarded to a firm named M/s.Venkatachalapathy Constructions and notably this firm was the single bidder for this project and that this firm is owned by one P.Subramaniam and that the son of Thiru.Edappadi K.Palanisamy named Mr.Mithun Kumar had married the daughter of the said P.Subramaniam. Further, apart fr