The order of acquittal of former AIADMK Minister P Easwaramoorthy and three of his family members in a “disproportionate wealth case” passed by a lower court in July, 2004, was upheld by the Madras HCt, last week.Eswaramurthy of Erode district was Dharapuram MLA from 1991 to 1993 and thereafter from May, 1993 to May 1996. He was the Minister of Khadi and Village Industries. The charge against him was that he had acquired property worth about Rs 31.35 lakh between June 1991 and May 1996 in his name and in the names of others, which was ‘disproportionate to known sources of his income.’ His wife E Sujatha, father Perumal, sister Tamil Selvi and her husband R Sathasivam were the other accused in the case. Perumal died during the pendency of the trial and the charges against him stood abated. By an order dated July 23, 2004, the CJM-cum- Special Judge, Erode, found the accused not guilty and acquitted them. Hence, the present criminal appeal by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Erode. Dismissing the appeal, Justice Aruna Jagadeesan said there was no material or evidence brought out from prosecution witnesses to make an inference that the other accused were holding the property standing in their names as a benami of the first accused.
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