CHENNAI: In continuance with the series of suo muto petitions against the legislators and former legislators, Justice N Anand Venkatesh took up two more suo motu cases against Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy and former Minister B Valarmathi of AIADMK.
Both the cases are slatted to be heard on Friday. In March 17, 2023 a additional special court in Chennai for MP/MLA cases passed an order discharging minister Periyasamy from a case filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The special court had accepted a petition filed by Periyasamy and discharged him from a case booked by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) for having allotted a Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) plot to former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's personal security officer (PSO) C. Ganesan, under the State government's discretionary quota, when he served as Housing Minister in March 2008.
Likewise, another suo motu case against a former minister B Valarmathi was scheduled before Justice Anand Venkatesh.
Valarmathi and her family members were acquitted from a disproportionate asset case in 2012 by a special court under prevention of corruption act, Chennai.
It was alleged that she had amassed assets to the tune of 1.70 crore which were disproportionate to her known sources of income between 2001 and 2006, when she was social welfare minister in the AIADMK regime.
Valarmathi sought to be discharged from the offences and said that the case was politically motivated and was followed by a shoddy probe.
Accepting this the special court discharge her from the DA case.
However, Justice Anand Venkatesh took up the cases as suo motu against the discharge of minister I Periyasamy and former minister B Valarmathi.
It may be noted that this the fifth suo motu case against ministers and former ministers in a row by Justice Anand Venkatesh. Earlier the judge took up the cases against the discharge of ministers K Ponmudy, KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from DA case.