IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED : 03.12.2025 CORAM T HE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE R.SURESH KUMAR and THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN W.A.No.2572 of 2024 K.Saraswathi .. Appellant Vs.

1.The Inspector of Panchayats / District Collector, Thiruvannamalai District, Thiruvannamalai.

2.The Assistant Director of Panchayat, Cheyyar Sub-Division, Thiruvannamalai District.

3.The Block Development Officer (Village Panchayat), Chetpet Panchayat Union, Chetpet, Thiruvannamalai District. .. Respondents Prayer: Writ Appeal filed under Clause 15 of Letters Patent praying to allow the writ appeal and set aside the order passed by this Court in W.P.No.18836 of 2024 dated 16.08.2024.

For Appellant : Mr.L.P.Shanmugasundaram For Respondents : Mr.R.Ramanlal Additional Advocate General Assisted by Mr.P.Balathandayutham Special Government Pleader

J U D G M E N T

(Judgment of the Court was made by V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.) The writ petitioner is the appellant. She presented a writ petition to quash the notice issued by the 2nd respondent in Na.Ka.No.A2/586/2024, dated 24.05.2024.

2.The petitioner was elected as the President of Novlock Village Panchayat, Walaja Taluk, Ranipet District. She assumed the post on

12.10.2021. She pleaded that she has been working diligently and protecting the interest of the villagers and has been taking steps to augment the income of the village panchayat. The petitioner was served with a show cause notice on 08.03.2024 by the 1st respondent invoking Section 205 of the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, setting forth certain allegations against her. She pleads that this is on account of some disgruntled opposition party members, who have been indulging in continuous mudslinging, against her. Nonetheless, she gave a response on

20.03.2024 to the show cause notice.

3.The 1st respondent did not accept the explanation of the petitioner and directed the Tahsildar to convene a meeting. The Tahsildar issued proceedings on 02.05.2024, stating the meeting to be held on 17.05.2024. The petitioner filed a writ petition challenging the same in W.P.No.13568 of 2024. The said writ petition was allowed holding that the 1st respondent had not taken notice of the explanation given by the writ petitioner. This Court, following the judgment of the Division Bench in State of Tamil Nadu Vs. S.Ramasamy, (2011) 5 CTC 197 (DB), directed the 1st respondent to afford a fresh opportunity to the petitioner therein in respect of the show cause notice and to issue fresh proceedings in accordance with law.

4.After the order of this Court dated 16.05.2024, the petitioner gave a reply on 22.05.2024. In the mean time, the District Collector, passed an order invoking Section 203 of the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, taking away the cheque signing power of the President and Vice President.

5.The petitioner, yet again approached this Court by way of a writ petition in W.P.No.14054 of 2024. This Court entertained the writ petition and granted an interim order on 24.05.2024. On the very same day, the order impugned in the writ petition came to be passed.

6.This is an order passed by the 2nd respondent calling upon the petitioner to give her explanation to the charges set forth in the notice. It also pointed out that, in default of a reply, further proceedings will be initiated in terms of Section 205(1)(a) of the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994. The writ petition challenged the said notice by way of the present writ petition.

7.The petitioner pleaded that the order of this Court in W.P.No.13568 of 2024, dated 16.05.2024 had not been followed and that the documents on the basis of which the notice was issued were not served on the petitioner. This Court entertained the writ petition and directed the respondents to file a counter.

8.The respondents filed a counter stating that the 2nd respondent had inspected the Panchayat and found certain discrepancies. The counter stated even before the order of this Court dated 16.05.2024, the 1st respondent had