Chennai: The Madras High Court has granted relief to AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP and former Law Minister C. Ve. Shanmugam by cancelling an order passed by the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women. The commission had earlier directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate criminal proceedings against him over his alleged derogatory remarks against women.
The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women had taken note of certain public statements reportedly made by Shanmugam. Stating that the remarks were offensive and disrespectful to women, the commission issued an order on November 11, 2025, asking the DGP to take appropriate legal action against the senior leader.
Challenging this order, Shanmugam moved the Madras High Court. He argued that the commission had not followed proper legal procedures while issuing its direction. After hearing the arguments, Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira set aside the commission’s order.
The court quashed the direction mainly on procedural grounds. This means the judge found fault with the process followed by the commission in passing the order, rather than going into the details of the allegations themselves. The court did not make any observations on whether the remarks were right or wrong but focused on whether the commission had the authority and followed due process while issuing its directive.
With the High Court’s decision, the earlier instruction to the DGP to begin criminal proceedings against Shanmugam will not stand. As of now, no criminal action can be taken based on the commission’s November 11 order.
Legal experts say the ruling highlights the importance of following proper procedures while issuing directions that could lead to criminal prosecution. Further action, if any, would depend on whether a fresh complaint is filed or whether authorities choose to proceed independently in accordance with the law.
The case has drawn attention due to the political position of Shanmugam and the nature of the allegations, but for now, the High Court’s order has provided him temporary relief.