Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Minister Duraimurugan and his family in a disproportionate assets case and directed the Vellore Special Court to complete the trial within six months.
The case, originally filed in 2002 by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), alleged that Duraimurugan — who served as Public Works Minister from 1996 to 2001 — had amassed assets worth over Rs 3.92 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The Vellore Special Court had acquitted Duraimurugan, along with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and brother, in a judgment passed in 2007.
A review petition challenging the acquittal was filed in 2013 during the AIADMK regime. Justice Velmurugan heard the petition.
Appearing for the DVAC, Additional Advocate General Ravindran detailed the contents of the FIR and chargesheet, contending that the acquittal was flawed.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra represented Duraimurugan, while senior advocate P. Wilson appeared for the minister’s family.
The defence argued that the DVAC had incorrectly included the personal and business income of the other accused as part of the minister’s income. They further stated that some properties cited in the charges were acquired prior to the relevant period and there was no evidence to suggest that the minister’s relatives were acting as his proxies.
All accused, they contended, had filed proper income tax returns, which were accepted by authorities.
Additionally, the defence questioned the legitimacy of the investigation, pointing out that it was conducted by an officer below the required rank and without appropriate legal sanction. These grounds had formed the basis for the trial court’s acquittal.
However, after considering submissions from both sides, the High Court accepted the DVAC’s review petition. Justice Velmurugan quashed the 2007 acquittal and directed the Vellore Special Court to frame charges, examine witnesses, and complete the trial within six months.
(IANS)
