CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has reserved the orders on the revision petitions filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) against the trial court order discharging DMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Development Duraimurugan and his family members from the disproportionate assets case.
After completion of the arguments on both the sides, Justice P Velmurugan reserved the orders on the revision petitions which were filed in 2013.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, in Vellore, passed the orders in 2007 discharging Duraimurugan, his wife Santhakumari, his brother Durai Singaram, son and MP DM Kathir Anand and his wife K Sangeetha from the DA case which was registered in 2002 after the AIADMK came to power in the state.
The DVAC charged him of amassing disproportionate wealth to the tune of Rs 3.92 crore during 1996-2001 when he was a minister.
Senior counsels Siddharth Luthra and P Wilson, appearing for the minister, contended that the properties which were purchased before the check period were also wrongly accounted as disproportionate wealth.
The counsels also submitted that all the respondents have filed income tax returns and their income was earned through legal means. Further, they stated that proper sanction for prosecuting the minister was not obtained from the competent authority.