The Supreme Court of India on Monday provided significant legal breathing room to Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK General Secretary Durai Murugan, staying trial court proceedings in a long-running disproportionate assets case.
A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government regarding Murugan’s appeal, which challenges a recent Madras High Court order that had revived the corruption trial against him and his family members.
“There shall be no further proceedings until the next date of hearing. Issue notice returnable on April 20,” the bench observed, effectively pausing the litigation until the next hearing.
The stay was granted after Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the veteran DMK leader, informed the court that his client had received similar relief in a related matter. Singhvi argued for a stay on the trial to prevent the framing of charges while the apex court reviews the merits of the High Court’s intervention.
The case centers on allegations that Durai Murugan amassed wealth totaling ₹3.92 crore—disproportionate to his known sources of income—during his tenure as the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister between 1996 and 2001.
The legal journey of this case spans over twenty years:
- 2002: The case was originally registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
- 2007: A Special Court in Vellore discharged Durai Murugan and his family members, including his wife D. Santhakumari, son D.M. Kathir Anand (the current Lok Sabha MP from Vellore), and others, citing a lack of grounds to proceed.
- 2012: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) challenged this discharge through revision petitions in the Madras High Court.
- 2023: On April 23, the Madras High Court set aside the 2007 discharge order. Justice Velmurugan directed the Special Court to frame charges and conclude the trial within six months on a day-to-day basis, noting the significant passage of time.
The High Court’s decision to revive the trial led Murugan to approach the Supreme Court, seeking the current stay. With the Supreme Court’s intervention, the Vellore Special Court’s mandate to proceed with the trial is now on hold until at least late April.
