Madras HC initiates revision case in discharge of TN ministers in assets case

The Madras High Court on Wednesday took up on its own, a revision case against two DMK ministers who were acquitted by a local court in Virudhunagar district in disproportionate assets cases filed against them.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh, who holds the portfolio for MP/MLA cases in the State, took up the cases against senior Ministers Thangam Thennarasu and his wife and KKSSR Ramachandran and his spouse and also a friend of the DMK leader. The court ordered issuing notice to all concerned.

“It was a deja vu moment for this Court as both orders revealed a well orchestrated pattern: the Special Court had taken cognisance of the final reports in 2013/14. Discharge applications were filed, and the cases were adjourned for months and years on end till 2021. In 2021, the political fortunes in the State smiled at the main accused who regained their positions as Ministers in the State Cabinet. A few months thereafter the State prosecution very magnanimously came forward and offered to conduct “further investigation”, the judge said.

The product of this “further investigation” was a “closure report” tailored to support the grounds for discharge. The Special Court was then presented with a perfect fiat accompli as the prosecution suddenly whitewashed its earlier final report and presented a picture of complete innocence, the judge said.

The Special Court accepted the closure report and proceeded to discharge accused.

“This Court smelt a rat and called for the entire records of these two cases. “Something is rotten in the State of Denmark”, said Shakespeare in Hamlet. On examining the records, this Court is of the considered opinion that something is very rotten in the Special Court for MP/MLA Cases at Srivilluputhur,” the court said.

The ministers were charged with amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income, during the period 2006-11.