Duraimurugan Withdraws Plea to Transfer Corruption Case to Vellore Court

On Thursday, the Madras High Court in Chennai dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by former DMK minister Duraimurugan, who had sought to transfer a disproportionate assets case against him from a Chennai special court to a special court in Vellore.

The transfer plea came up for hearing before Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan. During the proceedings, the counsel representing the petitioner submitted that the Supreme Court had already stayed further proceedings pending before the Chennai court.

Following this submission, the counsel sought permission from the High Court to withdraw the petition. Justice Ilanthiraiyan recorded the submission and subsequently allowed the request, dismissing the transfer petition as withdrawn.

The case against Duraimurugan was originally registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2011. The charges relate to his tenure as the Public Works Department (PWD) minister in the DMK government from 2006 to 2011.

According to the DVAC, Duraimurugan allegedly amassed assets worth Rs 1.40 crore that were disproportionate to his known sources of income during this ministerial period.

In January 2017, a special court in Vellore discharged both Duraimurugan and his wife, Santhakumari, from the corruption case. The DVAC challenged this discharge and moved the High Court with an appeal.

The High Court then set aside the Vellore special court's discharge order and ordered a fresh trial to be completed within a period of six months.

Following the High Court's order, the special court for cases against MPs and MLAs in Chennai took up the trial. Duraimurugan and his wife then sought to have the case transferred back to the Vellore special court.

However, their initial petition for the transfer was dismissed, prompting Duraimurugan to move the High Court with the plea that was ultimately withdrawn on Thursday.