Madras HC upholds conviction of MMK’s Jawahirullah

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday confirmed the conviction of Papanasam MLA and founder of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, MH Jawahirullah, by a trial court for accepting foreign funds without obtaining permission from the government.

Justice P Velmurugan dismissed a criminal revision petition moved by Jawahirullah and others and confirmed the lower court order.

Jawahirullah’s counsel requested the court to suspend the order as his client was observing Ramzan fasting, the judge suspended the order for 30 days and directed the police to execute the conviction order, if the convict didn’t move an appeal against the conviction and attain an order in his favour.

In 2001, the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case against the then president of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, Jawahirullah, and others.

It was alleged that between December 15, 1997, and June 6, 2000, the accused persons formed an association in the name of Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund with a criminal motive to accept money from foreign countries without registering the association and without obtaining prior permission from the Union government.

The investigation agency also alleged that the accused persons received Rs 1.54 crore unaccounted money from foreign countries as fund, which was deposited to a bank account in the name of Coimbatore Muslim Relief Fund without obtaining government permission, which is a violation of Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act, 1976, alleged the CBI.

The CBI filed a charge sheet against the accused persons under sections 120-B of IPC and 6, 11, 22, 23 and 25 of Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act, 1976, before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Egmore.

In September 2011, the trial court found Jawahirullah and four others guilty and sentenced them to one-year imprisonment with fine.