Man, wife and accomplice convicted of swindling court funds meant for accident victims

MADURAI: A Special Court looking into cases booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Madurai convicted three persons, including C Thinagaraja, his wife Manimozhi, and an associate, Paramarasu, for misappropriation of the court’s funds meant for accident victims.

The main accused, Thinagaraja, was awarded seven years of imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50 lakh, his wife, Manimozhi, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 80 lakh and Paramarasu was sentenced to four years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the District Crime Branch (DCB), Pattukkottai, Thanjavur, against Thinagaraja and others in a case of misappropriation of the court’s funds to the tune of Rs 1.15 crore. The principal sessions court judge, Thanjavur at Kumbakonam, in an order dated July 18, 2023, convicted all the accused of the said crimes.

ED investigation revealed that Thinagaraja swindled the funds while employed as a translator/central Nazir at the additional district court, Pattukottai. The funds were meant for compensation to be paid by the insurance companies under the Motor Vehicle Act to accident victims.

The embezzled funds were transferred to his bank account, which was later withdrawn in cash and used to purchase movable and immovable properties, including a house and a car, in the name of his wife and other family members. The ED attached these proceeds of crime, which have now been ordered by the special court to be confiscated by the government.

The trial in this case was conducted on a fast-track basis and concluded within a period of one year.