CHENNAI: The special court for cases against MPs/MLAs has sentenced former Tamil Nadu minister R Indira Kumari and her husband to five years imprisonment while a retired bureaucrat Shanmugam was given a three-year jail term in a case relating to misappropriation of funds.
Finding them guilty, special court judge Alicia pronounced the orders on Wednesday, handing a prison term of five years to Indira Kumari and her husband Babu and three years to retired bureaucrat Shanmugam while Venkatakrishnan, then personal assistant to Indira Kumari, was acquitted, though with a fine of Rs 10,000.
The charges against another bureaucrat, Kirubakaran, abated since he died.
The case related to misappropriation of government funds to the tune of Rs 15.45 lakh granted to a trust run by Indira Kumari’s husband Babu for establishing a school for the hearing and visually impaired. However, the funds were siphoned off.
Indira Kumari served as Minister for Social Welfare from 1991-96 when J Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister. After several years, she switched camps to join the DMK.
As soon as the verdict was pronounced, Indira Kumari, who was present at the court hall, complained of breathing difficulties and was taken to a private hospital before being shifted to Govt Royapettah Hospital.