Former minister, hubby convicted in corruption case, awarded 5-yr RI

N Alicia, the presiding officer of the Special Court for Hearing Cases Against MPs and MLAs, awarded the sentence after finding them guilty under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Kumari joined the DMK in 2006. The court also awarded three years imprisonment to retired IAS officer P Shanmugam, who had served as the Director of Rehabiliatation of the Disabled and acquitted the ex-minister’s former PA Venkatakrishnan, after imposing a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. Indira Kumari was the Social Welfare minister during the check period of 1991-96 in the late J Jayalalithaa-led cabinet. The charges against another IAS officer Kirubakaran, the then secretary of the Social Welfare Department, were abated since he died during the trial.