CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to file a detailed counter affidavit explaining how the 2011 disproportionate assets case against Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan was transferred from the Vellore court to the 10th Additional Special Court for Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) cases in Chennai.
The direction was issued by Justice N Sathish Kumar when a petition filed by the minister against the special court’s order dismissing his application seeking to send back the case to the Vellore court.
The judge adjourned the case to November 24 for further hearing.
The DVAC registered the case against Duraimurugan, who is the general secretary of DMK, and his wife D Shanthakumari in 2011, when AIADMK was in power, for allegedly amassing `1.4 crore assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as PWD minister between 2006 and 2011.
However, the CJM Court in Vellore discharged them in 2017 and DVAC filed a revision petition in the high court against the discharge. In the meantime, following a GO issued by the state government, the case was transferred to the Chennai court. In April, 2025, Justice P Velmurugan allowed the review petition and directed the trial court to expedite the trial.