The Hindu : Conspiracy charge proved in free dhoti case: prosecution

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Conspiracy charge proved in free dhoti case: prosecution

By K.T. Sangameswaran

CHENNAI AUG. 25. The charge of conspiracy against the accused in the case of "free saree/dhoti scam" during the previous AIADMK rule has been proved, the prosecution submitted before a special court on Monday.

During arguments, which commenced afresh in the court of R. Rajamanickam, special judge-I, V. Krishnamurthy, special public prosecutor, submitted that the prosecution had let in sufficient evidence, oral and documentary, to prove the conspiracy charge against the accused. He cited the former Social Welfare Minister, Indirakumari's endorsement of revised specifications for purchasing a reduced measurement of sarees and dhotis, though the rate for the procurement was not cut proportionately for the 1995 Pongal.

Besides Ms. Indirakumari, those cited as accused in the charge sheet are her former junior personal assistant, R. Venkatakrishnan, P. Damodarasamy of Ramnagar, Coimbatore, a businessman, J. Murugesan of Poonamallee, a grocery store owner, L. Arumugam, proprietor, Prasanna Textiles, Coimbatore, and C. Shanmugasundaram, proprietor, Talent Cotton Yarn Corporation, Meenanatham, Coimbatore.

The prosecution case is that the Government implemented a scheme for distributing free dhotis and sarees to rural agricultural labourers and slum dwellers in urban areas for Pongal and free school uniforms to children.

The allegation was that the accused conspired and connived with others and caused a wrongful loss of about Rs. 11 crores to the Tamil Nadu Textile Corporation by non-supply/short supply of sarees, dhotis and white cloth.

The accused were booked, besides for the charge of conspiracy, for offences under 409 (criminal breach of trust), 109 (abetment), 466 (forgery of record of court or of public register, etc), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 475 (counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents) and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Sections 13 (2) and 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Consequent to the abolition of special court-II after June 30, which handled the case earlier, and the transfer of the case to special court-I, arguments were being heard again. The SPP would continue his arguments tomorrow.

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