MHC adjourns Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan's petition

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has adjourned the petition filed by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan to November 15, challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case filed against him in the disproportionate assets (DA) case registered against him while he was a minister in the AIADMK regime.

The petition was heard by a division bench of the Madras High Court (MHC) comprising Justice SS Sundar and Justice Sunder Mohan. After hearing the arguments the bench posted the matter to November 15 for further hearing.

In 2006, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) registered the disproportionate assets case against Minister Radhakrishnan, under the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988. The case was registered against Radhakrishnan that he amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income when he held the portfolio of Housing Minister during the 2001-2006 AIADMK regime.

Based on the DVAC investigation, in 2020 the ED registered another case against the minister, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002.

The ED claimed that during the investigation it collected various evidences and revealed the unique modus operandi which the accused used to infuse the unaccounted money into the various bank accounts.

The ED also represented itself before the Thoothukudi court, which was hearing the DVAC case, to permit it to assist the DVAC in the disproportionate asset case.However, the minister moved the MHC challenging the case booked by the ED.