SC halts criminal proceedings against Tamil Nadu minister Durai Murugan in disproportionate assets case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday put on hold a trial court proceedings against Tamil Nadu minister and DMK general secretary Durai Murugan in a disproportionate assets case.

A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu government on an appeal filed by Murugan, challenging a Madras High Court order.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, for Murugan, sought a stay on the trial court proceedings. The counsel contended that he had been granted similar relief in another case.

After hearing submissions, the bench said, “There shall be no further proceedings until the next date of hearing. Issue notice returnable on April 20.”

In April last year, the high court directed a special court in Vellore district to frame charges in accordance with the law against Murugan and his family members in the disproportionate assets case. The high court passed the order after allowing revision petitions filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).

The DVAC challenged a special court order discharging Durai Murugan and his family members in the case. The high court judge had said that since the check period in the case was between 1996 and 2001, the special court was directed to dispose of the matter within six months by conducting the trial on a day-to-day basis.

It was alleged that Durai Murugan amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 3.92 crore in his name and in the names of his relatives, disproportionate to his known sources of income, when he held the Public Works Department (PWD) portfolio in the southern state between 1996 and 2001.