Madras High Court reverses discharge of two Tamil Nadu ministers in corruption cases
The court said that there was a ‘clear nexus’ between the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders.
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The Madras High Court on Wednesday reversed the discharge of Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran and Human Resource Management Minister Thangam Thenarasu in two separate disproportionate assets cases, reported Live Law.
Ramachandran was booked in 2011 while Thenarasu was booked in 2012 under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Both are members of Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party.
In August 2023, Justice Anand Venkatesh initiated suo motu criminal revision proceedings against the two ministers after a special court discharged them in the two cases.
On Wednesday, Venkatesh restored the cases and asked the trial court to frame charges against the ministers. He clarified that he was interfering with the discharge orders due to theconduct of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, reported The Hindu.
The court said that the law enforcement agency had vehemently opposed Ramachandran and Thenarasu’s discharge pleas but changed its position after they became ministers in May 2021.
“This points to a clear nexus between the DVAC [Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption] and the politicians,” Venkatesh said.
Ramachandran, his wife and a friend have been accused of accumulating Rs 44.59 lakh in disproportionate assets between April 2006 and March 2010.
During this time, Ramachandran served as the minister for health and later as minister for backward classes in the state’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, reported Live Law.
Thenarasu and his...
