HC criticises Tamil Nadu govt

The Madras High Court today criticised the state government for the delay in filing appeals against lower court's acquittal of DMK ministers in a disproportionate wealth case and dismissed its 'condone delay petition'.
Justice Aruna Jagadeesan dismissed the petition filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption and observed that there was no acceptable explanation from the department from the year 2011 till the petition's filing on March 15, 2012.
A case was filed by the AIADMK government in 2001 accusing K N Nehru, S Raghupathy, I Periaswamy and Ko Si Mani, who were the ministers in the DMK regime between 1996-2001, of allegedly possessing disproportionate wealth.

A lower court discharged all accused except Mani without conducting any trial. Mani too was later acquitted.
In 2011 when AIADMK came to power again, the government took a decision to file appeals against the lower court's decision.
But the decision was implemented only in March, 2012 by filing condone delay applications in the High Court.

Criticising the delay, the judge observed that at no stretch of imagination the delay could be accepted.
The judge also said that the decision of the state agency to file the petition "leisurely" according to its convenience cannot be accepted.
While finding fault with the opinion by the then Advocate General, the judge said the attitude of the AG overriding the opinion given by the Public Prosecutor cannot be appreciated and observed that it reflects the political ill will against the ex-ministers.

On considering the facts and circumstances of the present condone delay application, the judge said that she herself was unable to persuade and dismissed the condone delay petition.