Face the land grab case trial, Madras HC tells minister Ma Subramanian

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the minister of Health and Family Welfare Department Ma Subramanian and his wife to face trial in a land grabbing case while dismissing a petition moved by them challenging the trial.

Justice P Velmurugan, while pronouncing the judgment, directed the trial court to frame charges against the accused, if not done already, in accordance with law and directed the accused to put forth their defence during the trial.

The judge refused to fix a time limit to complete the trial citing a Supreme Court directive.

S Parthiban, who contested, and lost, as an Independent against Ma Subramanian in the 2016 assembly election from the Saidapet constituency, filed a complaint alleging that he usurped a government land.

According to Parthiban, in 1996, Subramanian grabbed two plots belonging to the Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) at Labour Colony in Guindy by making false claims and submitting forged documents.

Subramanian used his political clout to grab the plot from SK Kannan, who was originally given the plot at a subsidised rate, said the complaint.

Producing forged documents showing Kannan as the father of his wife, Subramanian transferred the title in his favour and constructed a three- storey residential building on it, during his stint as Chennai mayor. He still resided in the building, the complaint alleged.

The police then lodged a case against Subramanian and his wife Kanchana.

Aggrieved by the criminal complaint Subramanian and his wife had filed a petition seeking to quash the case. The minister refuted all the allegations and submitted that he purchased the plots legally.