Supreme Court halts trial against Minister Duraimurugan in disproportionate assets case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed trial-court proceedings against DMK general secretary and minister Duraimurugan in a disproportionate-assets case.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the state government on an appeal filed by Duraimurugan, challenging an order of the Madras High Court. "There shall be no further proceedings until the next date of hearing. Issue notice returnable on April 20," the bench said.

The order came after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who represented Duraimurugan in the court, sought a stay on the trial and told the bench that he had been granted similar relief in another case.

The High Court, on April 23 last year, directed a special court in Vellore district to frame charges in accordance with law against Duraimurugan and his family members in the disproportionate-assets case.

The High Court had passed the order while allowing revision petitions filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), challenging an order of the special court discharging Duraimurugan and his family members from the case.

The High Court judge had said since the check period in the case was between 1996 and 2001, the special court was directed to dispose of the matter within six months by conducting the trial on a day-to-day basis.

The prosecution's case was that Duraimurugan amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 3.92 crore in his name and in the names of his relatives, disproportionate to his known sources of income, when he held the Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio between 1996 and 2001.

On February 23, 2007, the special court discharged Duraimurugan, his wife D Santhakumari, brother Durai Singaram, son DM Kathir Anand (the Lok Sabha MP from Vellore currently) and daughter-in-law K Sangeetha from the case registered in 2002 under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Challenging this order, the DVAC filed the revision petitions in March 2012. Allowing the same, Justice Velmurugan of the High Court gave the above directives.