Corruption cases8217; judgment day nears

Having questioned the accused under Section 313 CrPc in four disproportionate wealth cases, the Special Court-I, prides itself with heading the list.

It is just one step behind the delivery of judgment in the Rs 33.32 lakh disproportionate wealth case involving former minister S. Nagoor Meeran and his wife. The case has been posted for final arguments for November 15 by the defence and prosecution. One of the quickest proceedings was witnessed in this case, with the DVAC filing the charge-sheet on October 7, 1998, and the trial commencing on December 12, 1998.

Close on its heels is the wealth case involving senior IAS officer and former HealthSecretary K. Inbasagaran. A peculiar highlight of the case is that the accused, with zero legal background, is defending the charges on his own by engaging himself in a lengthy cross-examination. Examination of defence witnesses is likely to be completed by the next three hearings, facilitating the judge to fix an early date for final arguments.

Examination of defence witnesses is all set to begin shortly in the Rs 45.74 lakh disproportionate wealth case involving former Tamil Nadu speaker Sedapatti R. Muthiah and his family members. On April 7, 1998, hours after charges were framed against Sedapatti Muthiah, he was directed by his party supremo, Jayalalitha, to resign from his post as Union Minister for Surface Transport.

The wealth case against former AIADMK MLA Malliga, her brother and sister-in-law has been posted for examination of defence witnesses.

In Special Court-II, three cases have progressed well. The Fire Services scam involving former Fire Services director E. Hariharane and others ismoving towards examination of defence witnesses.

But all eyes are set on the Kodaikannal Pleasant Stay Hotel case in which Jayalalitha and former minister and Salem MP T.M. Selvaganapathy are the main accused. After the AIADMK general secretary8217;s discharge from the multi-crore coal import case, the state8217;s investigating agencies were keenly looking forward to the questioning of Jayalalitha by Special Judge-II V. Radhakrishnan in the Hotel case. Once that is completed, it will only be a matter of time before the judgment is delivered, depending on the number of defence witnesses to be cited by the accused.

Meanwhile, just five prosecution witnesses are to be examined in the Rs 77 lakh disproportionate wealth case against former minister K. Ponnusamy and his family members.

Special Court-III, where seven cases including the TANSI cases are in progress, stands isolated from the progress list.

The development, though belated has evoked a lot of interest among the prosecution and the media, as the caseswere unusually prolonged through 8220;legal and political8221; means by the high-profile accused. One of the major but short-lived stumbling blocks placed in the judicial proceedings allegedly through the political influence of the accused was the Central Government8217;s notification on February 5 last transferring all the cases to the sessions courts. The notification was quashed by the Supreme Court later.