The Madras High Court on Monday, April 27, 2026, dismissed a new writ petition that sought an inquiry into the assets declared by C. Joseph Vijay, the president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and a prominent actor. The petition questioned the wealth declared by Vijay while filing his nomination papers for the Perambur Assembly constituency during the recent elections.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, refused to entertain the fresh plea. This decision comes as the court had already addressed a similar case previously, ordering notices to be issued to the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation). The court indicated that a detailed order explaining the reasons for dismissing the latest petition would be released later in the day.
The court also dismissed two other writ petitions that had sought similar inquiries into the assets declared by AIADMK candidates D. Jayakumar and C. Ve. Shanmugam. This indicates a consistent stance by the court on handling such petitions related to election affidavits.
The dismissed petition was filed by MP Venkatesh, a Chennai resident, who raised concerns regarding specific figures in Vijay’s election affidavit. Venkatesh’s complaint highlighted a loan of ₹12.6 crore given to Vijay’s spouse and a transfer of ₹20 crore to a trust, questioning the lack of detailed explanation regarding the nature, source of funds, and genuineness of these transactions. The petitioner argued that these disclosures suggested a pattern of unclear financial dealings.
This is not the first instance of Vijay’s asset declaration coming under legal scrutiny. A previous petition had already been filed, requesting an income tax investigation into alleged irregularities in his financial disclosures. In that earlier case, the High Court had issued a notice and sought a response from the Income Tax Department, leaving the matter open for further review. The Madras High Court had previously dismissed a writ petition filed by Vijay challenging a ₹1.50 crore Income Tax penalty for alleged non-disclosure of income from the film “Puli” during the 2015-16 financial year. The court noted that the penalty was imposed within the statutory time limit and permitted Vijay to appeal before the appellate authority.
Vijay, popularly known as Thalapathy, officially launched his political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in February 2024. He has announced that his upcoming film, Jana Nayagan, will be his final acting role, signaling a full commitment to his political career. Recent reports, including an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Tamil Nadu Election Watch, have placed C. Joseph Vijay among the wealthiest candidates contesting the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, with declared assets of approximately ₹648 crore. The ADR report also noted a general trend of increasing wealth and the prevalence of candidates with criminal charges across various parties in the state.
The TVK has positioned itself as a secular alternative, with Vijay recently stating that the party’s political enemy is the DMK and its ideological enemy is the BJP. Political observers estimate that TVK could secure a significant vote share in the upcoming elections, potentially reshaping margins in several constituencies, even if immediate parliamentary power is not achieved.
The Chenab Times News Desk