In a significant legal development, the Madras High Court on Friday annulled previous court orders from 2007 and 2016 that had dismissed disproportionate assets cases against DMK leader and current Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam. The cases also involve his family members and stem from allegations during his earlier terms as Minister.
Justice P Velmurugan overturned the discharge orders issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cuddalore district, citing petitions filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2013 and 2016. The High Court’s decision mandates a rigorous trial at the Special Court in Cuddalore, which is ordered to operate on a day-to-day basis and conclude within the next six months.
The allegations against Panneerselvam detail the accumulation of wealth distinctly disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenures in office. The first case alleges that between 1996 and 2001, Panneerselvam and his wife, Senthamizhselvi, acquired assets worth approximately Rs 21.22 lakh, exceeding their lawful earnings.
A subsequent case concerns the period from 2006 to 2011, during which Panneerselvam, alongside his wife P Senthamizhselvi and son P Kathiresan, is accused of amassing around Rs 3 crore, again surpassing what would be expected from their declared sources of income.
