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The Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking a CBI investigation into alleged horsetrading during the Tamil Nadu trust vote
June 19, 2026: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of horsetrading and corruption during the trust vote won by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government in Tamil Nadu on May 13. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant rejected the plea, describing it as based on “vague, bald and casual” allegations lacking reliable supporting material. The petition had also sought the imposition of President’s Rule in the state until the proposed investigation was completed.
During the hearing, advocate CR Jaya Sukin, appearing for petitioner K.K. Ramesh, argued that political defections and alleged inducements to lawmakers were becoming common across several states. He claimed that elected representatives were being persuaded to switch sides through financial offers or pressure tactics, posing a threat to democratic institutions. The bench, however, questioned the general nature of the allegations and noted that the petition failed to provide concrete evidence against any specific party or government.
Dismissing the plea, the court stated that no credible material had been presented to justify a judicial intervention or a CBI investigation. The ruling effectively closes the legal challenge to the TVK government’s trust vote victory while reaffirming that serious allegations of corruption must be backed by substantive evidence before courts can order further action.