2 months ago
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The Madras High Court connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026) extended by six months the clip bounds for completion of proceedings successful the disproportionate assets cases against Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam and their household members, which had been pending since 2002.
Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira accepted the petition made by the proceedings courts for hold of clip by six months. Additional Public Prosecutor K.M.D. Muhilan said Justice P. Velmurugan had successful April 2025 directed the sessions courts to implicit the proceedings wrong six months, but they could not bash so.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) had booked the lawsuit against Mr. Duraimurugan, his woman D. Santhakumari, member Durai Singaram, lad D.M. Kathir Anand (now a Member of Parliament representing Vellore Lok Sabha constituency) and daughter-in-law K. Sangeetha successful 2002.
The complaint was they had amassed wealthiness disproportionate to their known sources of income betwixt 1996 and 2001. Mr. Duraimurugan had served arsenic the Public Works Minister successful erstwhile Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s Cabinet during the cheque period.
The lawsuit was registered aft the AIADMK returned to powerfulness successful the State successful 2001. However, successful 2007, a peculiar tribunal for proceeding cases booked nether the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988 successful Vellore discharged the Minister and his household members from the lawsuit booked by the DVAC.
The investigating bureau filed a revision petition successful the High Court successful 2013 challenging the discharge orders. The High Court, successful 2013, condoned the hold of 1,789 days successful preferring the revision, but the main petition was kept pending for astir 12 years until Justice Velmurugan heard them successful 2025.
On April 23, 2025, the justice reversed the discharge and directed the Minister and his household members to look trial. He besides ordered the proceedings indispensable beryllium completed wrong six months by conducting the proceedings connected a day-to-day ground since the corruption lawsuit was much than 2 decades old.
In truthful acold arsenic Mr. Panneerselvam was concerned, the DVAC had booked 2 antithetic disproportionate assets cases against him and his woman P. Senthamizhselvi for the cheque periods 1996-2001 and 2006-2011. His lad P. Kathiravan excessively was an accused successful the lawsuit pertaining to the 2nd cheque play alone.
A peculiar tribunal for PC Act cases successful Cuddalore had discharged them from some the cases successful 2007 and 2016 respectively. Hence, the DVAC had preferred revision petitions earlier the High Court successful 2013 and 2016 challenging the discharge orders passed by the peculiar court.
Justice Velmurugan had allowed some the revision petitions connected April 25, 2025 and reversed their discharge. After directing the accused to look trial, helium had ordered that the proceedings successful these cases excessively indispensable beryllium completed wrong six months by conducting the proceedings connected a day-to-day basis.
