Madras HC reverses discharge of T.N. Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam from two disproportionate assets cases-OxBig News Network

M.R.K. Panneerselvam. File
| Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan

The Madras High Court on Friday (April 25, 2025) reversed the 2007 and 2016 discharge of Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam and his wife P. Senthamizhselvi from two different disproportionate assets cases pertaining to the check periods 1996-2001 and 2006-2011.

Justice P. Velmurugan allowed the criminal revision petitions filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2013 and 2016 and directed a special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases in Cuddalore to conduct a full-fledged trial in both cases.

The judge ordered the special court to frame charges against the accused and complete the trial within six months by conducting day-to-day proceedings, noting that the cases had been pending for decades and had not progressed due to the discharge orders.

The Minister’s son P. Kathiravan was also an accused in the case pertaining to the check period between 2006 and 2011, and he too had been discharged from the case by the special court in 2016. Justice Velmurugan set aside his discharge order as well, and directed him to face trial.

Mr. Panneerselvam had served as Minister for Health during the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) regime between April 2006 and March 2011, when he had been accused of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income in his name as well as those of his wife and son.

The DVAC had filed a chargesheet against the trio under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of the PCA of 1988. It had also relied upon 60 witness and 111 documentary evidence to prove the case. However, on February 3, 2016, the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Cuddalore discharged all three accused.

Aggrieved over this, the investigating agency had filed the present revision petition after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) assumed power in the State in 2016.