Finance minister Marie Wilson
The case pending against him is for allegedly assaulting his brother and sister-in-law in 2022.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu finance minister Marie Wilson is “not the King of England to seek exemption from appearing before court,” Justice V Lakshminarayanan of the Madras high court observed when the minister sought permission on Friday to not appear before a Puducherry court in connection with a criminal case. Wilson’s counsel had sought the exemption on the grounds that the state assembly was in session. The trial is pending before judicial magistrate court-I, Puducherry. Refusing to accept the submission, Justice Lakshminarayanan pointed out that even P V Narasimha Rao had appeared before a court while he was prime minister. Pointing out that Marie Wilson had appeared in court before he became a minister, the court wondered whether he could refuse to appear after becoming a minister.
On Aug 8, 2022, Wilson broke into the house of his brother, Marie Claude, in Ezhil Nagar, Puducherry, and assaulted Claude and his wife Caroline, according to the prosecution. A video of the incident was widely circulated immediately after Marie Wilson was named as a TVK candidate in the assembly election.
He assured the court that the minister would appear before the Puducherry court after Aug 31. Recording the submission, the court permitted him to withdraw the case.
The court then directed the minister’s counsel to inform the court of the date on which he would appear before the Puducherry court and adjourned the hearing to the afternoon.