Chennai: The Madras high court has directed a trial court in the city to conduct the trial on day to day basis and dispose of within four months, the Rs1.15 crore disproportionate wealth case against former AIADMK minister C. Aranganayagam and his family members pending for over 19 years. Justice C.T. Selvam dismissed the petitions filed by Aranganayagam, his wife and his two sons, challenging the order of the Special Judge-1, Chennai, dismissing their petitions, which sought to discharge them from the case.
The judge said, “It is the duty of this court to inform and record its great displeasure in the action/inaction of the state agencies in earnestly not pursuing the proceedings before this court. What is the effect?” In a case in which wrong doings between 1991 and 1996 were alleged, the final report has been filed in 2006. The order of the court below was of the year 1998. Since, then over 17 long years, the matter has been pending before this court. A perusal of the docket suggests that the matter has not been listed between September 2001 and November 2011.
“Leave alone the question of why in a case alleging offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, more particularly, disproportionate possession of assets, the first information report of the year 1996 resulting in the filing of a charge sheet only after 10 long years, the questions, of who is responsible for pendency of proceedings before this court over 17 long years, what, if any, are the vested interests and are none accountable for an answer”, the judge added.
