Hearing on disproportionate assets case against ex-minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji on Aug 5

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has decided to hear the disproportionate assets case against former Minister for Milk and Dairy Development KT Rajenthra Bhalaji. The third judge for the hearing, M Nirmal Kumar, was named recently by the court, and the case was posted to August 5 for final arguments.

The issue pertains to a seven-year-old public interest litigation that sought registration of an FIR against Rajenthra Bhalaji for alleged amassment of wealth disproportionate to his income, from the time he held the post of Tiruthangal town panchayat vice-president in Virudhunagar district in 1996.

One R Mahendran moved the PIL in 2013 accusing Bhalaji of having declared that he had no known sources of income and that he was not even an income tax assessee when he contested the Assembly elections in 2011. The DVAC had earlier submitted a 754-page preliminary inquiry report and gave a clean chit to Bhalaji.

During the hearing, the counsel for Bhalaji sought time to collect certain consolidated statements. However, the State urged that the case be wrapped early. The judge, recording the submissions, posted the case to August 5 for final arguments.