Justice N Anand Venkatesh, on Wednesday, August 7, reversed the the discharge of Tamil Nadu Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu by lower courts in two disproportionate assets cases. The court has ordered fresh conduct of trial after framing charges. Earlier, the same judge had set aside the discharge of Tamil Nadu Minister of Rural Development I Periyasamy from a case filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and his wife Manimegalai were discharged by the Principal District and Sessions Court in Srivilliputhur in December 2022. The case was filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption in 2012 alleging that Thangam, who served as School Education Minister between 2006 and 2011 during the previous DMK regime, along with his wife amassed disproportionate wealth. DVAC conducted raids in their house and booked them during the next All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime.
Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management KKSSR Ramachandran, his wife Aadhilakshmi and another person identified as one KSP Shanmuga Moorthy, were acquitted in a similar case by Srivilliputhur Principal Sessions judge V Thilaham, in July 2023. They were also booked during the AIADMK rule in 2011, for accumulating disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 43 lakhs when Ramachandran was the Minister for Health and Backward Classes between 2006 and 2011 under the DMK government.
Justice Venkatesh invoked section 397 of CrPC to revise the acquittals of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ministers. Section 397 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (calling for records to exercise powers of revision) empowers a High Court judge or any sessions judge to examine the record of any proceeding before any court under its jurisdiction for the purpose of verifying the correctness, legality or propriety of “any finding, sentence or order”.
On August 10, Justice Anand had taken suo moto revision of a disproportionate assets case against Minister K Ponmudy and his wife, who were acquitted by Vellore principal district court on June 28 in a case filed by DVAC dating back to 2002.
Justice Venkatesh has also taken suo motu revisions of the cases against Ministers K Ponmudy and former chief minister O Panneerselvam, which are still underway.
