Madras High Court Quashes FIR Against TVK MLA ECR Saravanan Over 'Unauthorised' Hoardings, Says No Public Structure Destroyed

The Madras High Court, on Thursday (October 15), quashed one of the FIRs registered against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA from Sholinganallur constituency, P Saravanan alias ECR Saravanan, in connection with erecting unauthorised banners.

Justice V Lakshminarayanan noted that no public structure had been destroyed by Saravanan's acts and thus continuation of proceedings would amount to an abuse of law.

"No public structure destroyed. In view of the decisions of the Supreme Court, continuation of proceedings would amount to an abuse of law," the court said.

The present FIR is one of the many FIRs lodged against Saravanan in 2025 for allegedly putting up unauthorised banners. The court had previously allowed Saravanan's miscellaneous plea seeking to dispense with the production of the original FIR in another case, for the same offence. 

As per the FIR, when the Inspector of Police, Neelankarai Police Station, was on patrolling duty, he came across banners of the party that were erected near a marriage hall on KK Road without any permission. Upon enquiry, the police came to know that the banners were erected at the behest of Saravanan. Thus, the police had suo motu registered an FIR against Saravanan for an offence under Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1959.