Madras High court sets aside order convicting former AIADMK minister

CHENNAI: The Madras High court has set aside an order, dated April 15, 2005, of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Cuddalore, convicting former AIADMK Minister Janardhanan in the case of accumulation of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and awarding two years’ rigorous imprisonment with a fine of  Rs 50,000.

Justice M V Muralidharan also set aside a trial court order insofar as it directed the confiscation of properties of the second accused J Prema, wife of Janardhanan. Though the trial court had acquitted Prema, it ordered confiscation of her property, which was challenged by Prema.

The judge was allowing two appeals from the duo, challenging the 2005 order of the trial court.
According to prosecution, Janardhanan had possessed assets to the tune of `56.13 lakh and thereby committed an offence under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, when he was the minister.

Justice Muralidharan observed that the trial court had travelled beyond the charges framed against Janardhanan, which is impermissible in law. The court had not appreciated the totality of the case, when the charges framed against the second accused Prema were not proved, he said.