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Corruption case against TN ex-minister kicks off

Trial in the disproportionate wealth case against former Tamil Nadu minister Nagore Meeran and his family members, commenced before special judge-1 Sambandham in Madras today, with the examination of five witnesses.

The witnesses examined were R Margabhandu, personal assistant to the regional transport officer (Madras-south), Chandrasekharan, clerk in Chitlapakkam panchayat union, S Venkatraman, deputy secretary, Tamil Nadu Housing Board, Hemavathi, allotment service manager, TNHB and Abdul Khalid, a TMC councillor and a scrap iron dealer.

Margabhandu deposed before the judge that he had registered two Ambassador cars and a new Mahindra jeep in the name of Meeran. Chandrasekharan said he oversaw the allotment of a plot at Chitlapakkam to Dr Noor Jameela, Meeran's wife and an accused in the case.

Venkatraman stated that he had allotted a plot at Kottivakkam at a cost of Rs 2.43 lakh to Dr Jameela. Hemavathi disclosed that she oversaw the allotment of a flat, costing Rs 9.93 lakh, at Luz in Madras to Meeran on instalment basis. Khalid said he had sold his Ambassador car to the former minister for Rs 1 lakh.

All the above transactions were made while Meeran was a minister in the previous AIADMK regime led by Jayalalitha.

The case related to amassment of assets worth Rs 3.27 million by Meeran, which was disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The judge adjourned further hearing of the cases to January 3, when six more witnesses would be examined.

UNI

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