Petition filed in HC against former DMK minister

A criminal revision petition was today filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to set aside the order of a lower court which discharged the former DMK minister M R K Pannerselvam and members of his family from a disproportionate wealth case.
When the petition by the Inspector of Police, Vigilance and Anti-corruption department (VAC), Cuddalore, came up before Justice P Devadass, the Judge issued notice returnable by three weeks to Paneerselvam, his wife, and son Kadhiravan.
The VAC submitted that Paneerselvam as the State Health Minister had committed offence of criminal misconduct by amassing wealth of Rs 3.01 crore in his name and that of his wife and son between April 15, 2006 and March 21, 2011, which was disproportionate to known sources of their income for which he cannot satisfactorily account.

A charge sheet was filed to the effect that he had committed an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act and that his wife and son abetted and aided him.
The Special Judge of Cuddalore court had on February 3 this year allowed their appeal and discharged the former minister and his family members from the case, it said.
VAC contended that mere grave suspicion was enough to frame a charge but in this case more than prima facie material was produced before the lower court to frame charges against the accused.
However, the lower court failed to appreciate that the prosecution had established its case by providing all material evidence before it to frame charges against the accused and discharged them without considering the parameters laid down by the Supreme Court while dealing with discharge applications, VAC submitted.