Land grab case: Alagiri to face 'full' trial as Madras HC reverses relief

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday reversed an order passed by the judicial magistrate court in Madurai four years ago, discharging former Union Minister and expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri in a 2014 land grab case.

Allowing a revision petition filed by the erstwhile AIADMK government challenging the lower court order, Justice P Velmurugan reversed the relief granted to Alagiri from select provisions of law and ordered that he must face trial for those charges too.

The judge also dismissed Alagiri's revision petition, seeking to discharge him completely from the alleged land grab case.

Alagiri and six others were booked by the anti-land grabbing special cell in 2014 on the charges of grabbing land belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department at Sivarakottai in Madurai.

It was alleged that an engineering college was established on the alleged grabbed land by MK Alagiri Educational Trust.

After the investigation, the special cell submitted a final report before a judicial magistrate in Madurai.

In 2021, upon pursuing the report, the magistrate court relieved Alagiri from certain charges. It held that no prima facie material was established on offences of grabbing the land with fraudulent documents under sections 420, 423, 465, 468 and 471 of IPC.

However, the court allowed to try Alagiri under sections 120B and 408 of IPC.

Aggrieved by the order of the lower court, the then AIADMK government moved a criminal revision plea in the High Court. Alagiri also moved a revision petition in the Madurai district court seeking to discharge him from all the charges.

Since both the cases inter-connected, on September 7, 2023, the High Court tagged both cases together for hearing.

After hearing both sides, the HC set aside the lower court order and allowed the revision petition moved by the State. It also directed the lower court to continue the trial.