A former Minister and his ‘vada case’

Covering tribunal proceedings is breathtaking for reporters for the sheer assortment it offers. Unlike different specialised beats, it gives america the accidental to travel developments connected everything nether the sun. A ineligible analogous is privy to good arguments by the champion ineligible minds connected law provisions, issues of governance, interpretations of instrumentality successful transgression cases, spirited nationalist involvement litigation, and, of course, judicial sermons. What is genuinely thrilling, though, is covering transgression proceedings proceedings. This is wherever a newsman encounters the ingenuity of transgression lawyers, the desperation of the accused, the smartness oregon sometimes adjacent collusion of authorities prosecutors, the innocence of witnesses, and the straight-faced tribunal staff.

Interesting courtroom encounters became staple fare erstwhile the M. Karunanidhi authorities successful Tamil Nadu (1996-2001) acceptable up 3 peculiar courts successful Chennai to effort 46 corruption cases against erstwhile Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, immoderate of her erstwhile Cabinet colleagues, and IAS and IPS officers. The trials were conducted daily. The accused and their lawyers tried each instrumentality to prolong the proceedings. Many of america would spot accused politicians abruptly autumn sick connected important proceeding dates. Fed up with specified tactics, a peculiar justice erstwhile went to a hospital, with lawyers, tribunal staff, and journalists successful tow, to framework charges against a erstwhile Minister, who was lying successful bed.

In different case, conscionable arsenic the justice began to work retired the charges, Jayalalithaa sneezed loudly. For a moment, everyone successful the courtroom believed she was successful existent distress. She kept sneezing until the justice finished his part.

K.A. Sengottaiyan, 1 of Jayalalithaa’s fiercest loyalists and a erstwhile Transport Minister, was facing 3 cases then. An uncrowned king successful the Gobichettipalayam constituency, helium had joined the AIADMK arsenic a instrumentality of its laminitis and actor-turned-politician M G. Ramachandran (MGR). He imbibed MGR’s wont of loosening his purse strings. He enjoyed important goodwill successful his hometown, Erode district, for liberally tipping authorities employees. Journalists determination would narrate tales of however the Telephone Department lineman would occasionally “discover” a faulty transportation astatine his location to gain a princely tip.

Each clip helium appeared successful court, dozens of supporters would travel him, lasting down him and the different accused. Quite coincidentally, galore prosecution witnesses would crook hostile. Rattled by the continuing volte-face of witnesses, the prosecution astatine 1 constituent decided to record a perjury lawsuit against a hostile witnesser to deter others.

During tribunal hearings, Mr. Sengottaiyan’s idiosyncratic adjunct would put luncheon for his supporters from a fashionable vegetarian edifice chain. Some journalists were besides shown patronage. On 1 occasion, blistery vada with sambar and chutney was distributed not conscionable to his supporters, but besides to a conception of the peculiar tribunal staff. A now-defunct Tamil paper published a study with the headline: “Sengottaiyan buys vada for tribunal staff.” The communicative created rather a sensation. Special Judge-I Sambandham was furious. He issued a memo to each the staff, irrespective of whether oregon not they had eaten the vada. From that day, whenever journalists asked the tribunal serviceman which lawsuit was listed for proceeding the adjacent day, if it was 1 of Mr. Sengottaiyan’s, the reply would be: “Naalaikku vada case, sir (Tomorrow is the vada case, sir).”

Eventually, Mr. Sengottaiyan was convicted successful 1 of the “vada cases” and could not contention the 2001 Assembly elections. Later, helium was acquitted by the Madras High Court, giving his governmental vocation a caller lease of life. On Thursday, the leader, who was precocious expelled from the AIADMK, which helium served for implicit 50 years, joined actor-politician Vijay’s fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.

sureshkumar.d@thehindu.co.in