Madras HC sets aside discharge of two TN Ministers in disproportionate assets case

Chennai, Aug 7 (IANS) The Madras High Court set aside the discharge of Tamil Nadu Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu from two different disproportionate assets cases booked against them and their family members in 2011 and 2012.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside the order passed by a special court discharging Ramachandran, his wife R.Adhilakshmi and friend K.S.P. Shanmughamurthy and restored the disproportionate cases to the special court.

He ordered that the trial court should frame charges and proceed in accordance with the law. The judge made clear that in view of the orders passed by him in the suo motu proceedings, the discharge petitions that the accused had filed before the trial court would stand dismissed.

The court further directed all three accused to appear before the special court on September 9 and furnish a bond. The court also said that the trial must be conducted without being influenced by any of the observations made by him in the suo motu proceedings.

The court also set aside orders passed by a special court handling MP/MLA cases in December last year against Minister Thangam Thennarasu and his wife T. Manimegalai and restored the disproportionate assets case to the file of the trial court.

He also said that prima facie materials were available for framing charges and directed the special court to proceed with the framing of charges.

Justice Anand Venkatesh in his judgment wrote: “The accused are directed to appear before the special court on September 11, 2024. On such appearance, the special court shall obtain a bond under Section 88 of Code of Criminal Procedure with or without sureties as the special court may deem fit and necessary.”

The single bench judge also directed the special court to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis.