Justice P. Velmurugan had in April 2025 directed the sessions courts to complete the trial within six months, but they could not do so.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) extended by six months the time limit for completion of trial in the disproportionate assets cases against Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam and their family members, which had been pending since 2002.
Justice A.D. Jagadish Chandira accepted the request made by the trial courts for extension of time by six months. Additional Public Prosecutor K.M.D. Muhilan said Justice P. Velmurugan had in April 2025 directed the sessions courts to complete the trial within six months, but they could not do so.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) had booked the case against Mr. Duraimurugan, his wife D. Santhakumari, brother Durai Singaram, son D.M. Kathir Anand (now a Member of Parliament representing Vellore Lok Sabha constituency) and daughter-in-law K. Sangeetha in 2002.
The charge was they had amassed wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income between 1996 and 2001. Mr. Duraimurugan had served as the Public Works Minister in former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s Cabinet during the check period.
The case was registered after the AIADMK returned to power in the State in 2001. However, in 2007, a special court for hearing cases booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988 in Vellore discharged the Minister and his family members from the case booked by the DVAC.
The investigating agency filed a revision petition in the High Court in 2013 challenging the discharge orders. The High Court, in 2013, condoned the delay of 1,789 days in preferring the revision, but the main petition was kept pending for nearly 12 years until Justice Velmurugan heard them in 2025.
On April 23, 2025, the judge reversed the discharge and directed the Minister and his family members to face trial. He also ordered the trial must be completed within six months by conducting the proceedings on a day-to-day basis since the corruption case was more than two decades old.
In so far as Mr. Panneerselvam was concerned, the DVAC had booked two different disproportionate assets cases against him and his wife P. Senthamizhselvi for the check periods 1996-2001 and 2006-2011. His son P. Kathiravan too was an accused in the case pertaining to the second check period alone.
A special court for PC Act cases in Cuddalore had discharged them from both the cases in 2007 and 2016 respectively. Hence, the DVAC had preferred revision petitions before the High Court in 2013 and 2016 challenging the discharge orders passed by the special court.
Justice Velmurugan had allowed both the revision petitions on April 25, 2025 and reversed their discharge. After directing the accused to face trial, he had ordered that the trial in these cases too must be completed within six months by conducting the proceedings on a day-to-day basis.
Published – February 24, 2026 08:45 pm IST
