Court Case

Madras High Court established

Crown Letters Patent created the High Court of Judicature at Madras in place of the Supreme Court of Madras.

Salem riots of 1882

Hindu-Muslim riots broke out in Salem over a procession route past a new mosque; the trials that followed made C. Vijayaraghavachariar famous.

Kamudi temple entry agitation

Nadars entered the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple at Kamudi in 1897; the courts, and in 1908 the Privy Council, ruled against their right of entry.

Collapse of Arbuthnot & Co

The failure of the Madras banking firm Arbuthnot & Co caused the worst financial crisis in the city's history and fuelled support for Indian-owned banks.

Assassination of Collector Robert Ashe

Vanchinathan shot dead Robert Ashe, Collector of Tinnevelly, at Maniyachchi railway station and then killed himself.

Lakshmikanthan murder case

Film stars M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and N. S. Krishnan were convicted in the murder of journalist C. N. Lakshmikanthan, later freed on appeal.

Supreme Court strikes down the Communal G.O. in Champakam Dorairajan case

Madras State's caste-based Communal Government Order on college admissions was struck down by the Supreme Court.

M. G. Ramachandran shot by M. R. Radha

Actor M. R. Radha shot M. G. Ramachandran at his home weeks before the 1967 election; MGR survived after surgery.

Vachathi atrocity

In Dharmapuri district, a raid on the tribal village of Vachathi by police, forest and revenue officials left villagers assaulted and women raped.

Wedding of Jayalalithaa's foster son Sudhakaran

More than 150,000 people watched the extravagant Madras wedding of V. N. Sudhakaran, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's foster son, an event later drawn into corruption cases.

Jayalalithaa arrested in colour TV case

Former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was arrested and remanded in judicial custody in a corruption case over the purchase of colour televisions.

Melavalavu massacre

Dalit panchayat president K. Murugesan and six other Dalit men were murdered at Melavalavu near Madurai by members of a dominant caste.

TADA court sentences 26 to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

A designated TADA court at Poonamallee sentenced all 26 accused on trial to death for the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.

Coimbatore serial bombings

Twelve bombs exploded across Coimbatore, killing 58 people, ahead of a campaign meeting by BJP leader L. K. Advani.

Supreme Court verdict in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

The Supreme Court upheld the convictions of seven accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and acquitted the other 19 sentenced by a TADA court.

Pleasant Stay verdict and the Dharmapuri bus burning

Jayalalithaa was sentenced to a year's imprisonment in the Pleasant Stay hotel case; in the violence that followed, three agricultural students were burnt to death in a bus at Dharmapuri.

Jayalalithaa convicted in the TANSI land case

A trial court convicted Jayalalithaa and Sasikala over the purchase of state TANSI land by their firms in 1992, a verdict that barred her from the 2001 election.

Kodaikanal mercury thermometer factory shut

Protests forced the closure of Hindustan Unilever's mercury thermometer factory at Kodaikanal over contamination.

Midnight arrest of M. Karunanidhi

Former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was arrested at his Chennai home in the early hours in a case over the construction of city flyovers.

Supreme Court unseats Jayalalithaa, O. Panneerselvam becomes Chief Minister

After the Supreme Court held Jayalalithaa's appointment invalid, O. Panneerselvam served as Chief Minister until she returned in March 2002.

Jayalalithaa returns as Chief Minister after Andipatti by-election

After her acquittal in the TANSI and Pleasant Stay cases, J. Jayalalithaa won the Andipatti by-election and was sworn in again as Chief Minister.

Jayalalithaa assets case transferred to Bangalore

On a DMK petition, the Supreme Court moved the disproportionate assets trial of J. Jayalalithaa from Chennai to a special court in Bangalore.

Arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya

Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchi math was arrested in the Sankararaman murder case; he and the other accused were acquitted in 2013.

Attack on the Dinakaran office in Madurai

After Dinakaran ran a survey on Karunanidhi's political heir, its Madurai office was firebombed and three people were killed.

Anna Centenary Library opens in Kotturpuram

A large public library named after C. N. Annadurai opened in Chennai on his birth anniversary.

2G spectrum case arrests

Former Telecom Minister A. Raja and later Kanimozhi were arrested in the 2G spectrum case; a special court acquitted all accused in 2017.

Jayalalithaa convicted in disproportionate assets case

A Bengaluru special court convicted Jayalalithaa, forcing her to resign; the Karnataka High Court acquitted her in 2015 and she returned as Chief Minister.

Green tribunal hears challenge to the Theni neutrino observatory

Acting on a petition against the environmental clearance for the India-based Neutrino Observatory in Theni district, the National Green Tribunal issued notices.

Jayalalithaa acquitted on appeal and returns as Chief Minister

Acquitted in the assets case by the Karnataka High Court, J. Jayalalithaa took the oath as Chief Minister for a fifth time.

Murder of Dalit engineering student Gokulraj

Dalit engineering student V. Gokulraj was abducted from a temple in Tiruchengode and murdered, in a case treated as an honour killing.

Kodanad estate robbery and murder

A watchman was killed during a break-in at the Kodanad tea estate in the Nilgiris, a retreat used by J. Jayalalithaa.

Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case

Arrests in Pollachi exposed a gang accused of sexually assaulting and blackmailing many women, causing statewide outrage and protests.

Sathankulam custodial deaths of Jayaraj and Bennix

A father and son detained by Sathankulam police during the lockdown died after being beaten in custody, causing national outrage.

Edappadi K. Palaniswami takes control of the AIADMK

The AIADMK general council made Edappadi K. Palaniswami interim general secretary and expelled O. Panneerselvam.

Vengaivayal drinking water tank contamination

Human faeces were found in an overhead water tank serving Dalit families in Vengaivayal village of Pudukkottai district.

Minister V. Senthil Balaji arrested by the ED

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Electricity Minister V. Senthil Balaji in a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam.

Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks on Sanatana Dharma

Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's call to eradicate Sanatana Dharma drew national controversy and court cases.

Anna University campus sexual assault case

A student was sexually assaulted on the Anna University campus; the sole accused was convicted and sentenced to life in 2025.

Life sentences in the Pollachi sexual assault case

All nine accused in the Pollachi case were found guilty by a Mahila court in Coimbatore and given life imprisonment.

Custodial death of temple guard Ajith Kumar

Temple watchman Ajith Kumar died after being held by police in Sivaganga district over a theft complaint; the case went to the CBI.