The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed that nowadays some politicians and political intermediaries exert undue influence over real estate promoters and dismissed the bail petition filed by a couple arrested for cheating and threatening a real estate promoter here.

Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan said such persons compel the promoters to pay illegal gratification and, in some instances, criminally intimidate them into executing sale deeds in respect of flats at prices substantially below the prevailing market value. These acts are often accompanied by false assurances that necessary approvals and permissions would be secured from the Corporation and the governmental departments concerned.