The chargesheet has been filed against the former higher education minister and former health minister in a disproportionate assets case.
Published May 22, 2023 | 7:29 PM ⚊ Updated May 22, 2023 | 7:30 PM
DVAC Dharmapuri Inspector of Police Palanisamy files 10000-page chargesheet against former minister KP Anbalagan. (Supplied)
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Monday, 22 May, filed chargesheets against former AIADMK ministers KP Anbalagan and C Vijaya Baskar in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
This is the first time since the DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu two years ago that the DVAC, under Chief Minister MK Stalin, has filed a chargesheet against ministers of the previous AIADMK regime.
The two former ministers have been brought up on charges of corruption.
Anbalagan, a sitting MLA from the Palacode Assembly constituency, was the minister for higher education in Edappadi Palaniswami’s Cabinet.
The DVAC registered an FIR on 19 January, 2022, and found that the ex-minister had amassed properties worth ₹11.32 crore — disproportionate to his known sources of income.
However, during the investigation, the DVAC found that the former minister had actually amassed assets to the tune of ₹45.20 crore.
The directorate eventually named Anbalagan and 11 of his family members, including his wife Mallika and sons Sasimohan and Chandramohan, as accused in the case.
The DVAC found that the former minister routed the amassed assets through his educational trust, Saraswathi Pachaiappan Education and Charitable Trust, which is governed by his wife.
Anbalagan also apparently invested in quarry businesses around the Dharmapuri area.
According to sources, the DVAC on 19 May sought approval from Assembly Speaker M Appavu to file the chargesheet against the former minister, and was accorded it.
The FIR also named Anbalagan’s close relatives P Ravisankar, P Saravanan, and R Saravanakumar, and close associates C Manickam, M Mallika, and SS Dhanapal.
On Monday, DVAC Inspector of Police P Palanisamy filed a 10,000-page chargesheet against the 11 accused in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Dharmapuri.
Meanwhile, the DVAC sleuths in Pudukottai filed a chargesheet against former health minister Vijaya Baskar C and his family members for accumulating disproportionate assets to the tune of ₹35.79 crore.
The DVAC also filed a separate 210-page chargesheet against the former minister’s wife Ramya.
In 2021, the DVAC conducted raids at 56 locations related to Vijaya Baskar.
The directorate filed an FIR against Vijaya Baskar, who is a sitting MLA from the Viralimalai constituency, in October 2021.
Sources in the DVAC said that the court would now summon the former ministers and a copy of the chargesheets would be issued to them.
Further, the concerned Magistrate Court is expected to decide on conducting the case in the Special Court for cases against MPs and MLAs.
The DVAC, on the other hand, is expected to put all its efforts into expediting the trial of the cases in the coming months.
