New Delhi, Aug. 6 -- In a major victory for the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a Madras High Court order that had barred the state government from using the names and images of current and former chief ministers in its public welfare schemes.

The apex court also imposed a penalty of Rs.10 lakh on AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam, calling his original petition an "abuse of the process of law".

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, along with Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria, observed that the plea filed against the DMK government was unwarranted.

The Supreme Court said there was no legal bar preventing the use of names or photos of living persons in welfare scheme promotion, unles...