MADURAI: The II Additional District Judge (CBI cases) in Madurai recently convicted a former court staff, his wife and their accomplice to seven, five and four years respectively, in a money laundering case for misappropriating court funds to the tune of Rs 1.1 crore in Thanjavur in 2020.
Since the trio was already convicted and sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thanjavur, in the IPC case, the CBI judge added that the sentences would run concurrently.
The order was passed against C Thinagaraja, his wife Manimozhi and their accomplice V Paramrasu. When Thinagaraja was working as a translator and Central Nazir in the III Additional District Judge, Thanjavur at Pattukottai, he had swindled the motor accident compensation funds deposited in the court’s account by forging the judge’s signature and modifying the cheques by entering excess amount.
Further, he diverted the excess amount to his bank account and obtained properties in his and Manimozhi’s name. Paramrasu, who was introduced to them through Manimozhi’s colleague, also seemed to have received Rs 1 lakh from the couple. Following a complaint lodged by the III Additional District Judge, Thanjavur police registered an FIR in October 2020.
Based on the FIR, the Enforcement Directorate officials registered an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, two months later.
II Additional District Judge (CBI Cases) S Shunmugavel found the trio guilty under PML Act and passed the above sentence, and imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on Thinagaraja, Rs 80 lakh on Manimozhi and Rs 1 lakh on Paramrasu.
In order to recover the misappropriated funds and return it to the court’s account to be disbursed to the motor accident victims, the judge further directed the central and state government to sell the confiscated properties and deposit the proceeds of sale into the bank account of the court concerned.