Chennai: The Madras High Court has reserved its orders in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case filed against senior DMK Leader and Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan.
AFter hearing elaborate arguments on a batch of five criminal revision cases filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) in 2013 against the 2007 order discharging him from the case, Mr Justice P Velmurugan reserved the orders.
The case was booked against Mr Duraimurugan and his family members in 2002 by the AIADMK regime led by late CM J Jayalalithaa for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income during the 996 and 2001 DMK regime.
Mr. Duraimurugan, an octogenarian, who is also the General Secretary of the ruling DMK and ranked second in the Council of Ministers led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, had served as Minister for Public Works Department (PWD) during late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s Cabinet between 1996 and 2001.
When AIADMK led by Jayalalithaa returned to power 2001, the DVAC registered a FIR against him on corruption charges under IPC and PCA, 1988 and conducted raids at his residence in Chennai and several other places linked to him, as well as his family members, in October 2002.
A Special Court had on February 23, 2007, discharged the Minister, his wife D. Santhakumari, brother Durai Singaram, son D.M. Kathir Anand (now a Lok Sabha MP from Vellore) and daughter-in-law K. Sangeetha from the case Challenging the Special Court order discharging them, the DVAC filed the present criminal revision cases in March 2012.
