TN ex-speaker's daughter gets 1 yr RI in assets case

TN ex-speaker's daughter gets 1 yr RI in assets case
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

CHENNAI, APRIL 28: The daughter of former Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker Sedapatti R Muthiah was today sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment by a special court here for reportedly abetting her father in accumulating unaccounted wealth of Rs 45.74 lakh while he was in office.

Special Judge A C Arumughaperumal Adityan also fined the former speaker's daughter, Malarvizhi, Rs 25,000.

The judge held that the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption, which had charged her under Section 109 of the IPC (abetment), read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, had proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt.

Muthiah, AIADMK treasurer and former Union minister, had earlier been found guilty by Special Judge S Sambandham (since retired) of possessing unexplained assets, while his two sons, Arivazhagan and Manimaran, were convicted for abetting the offence. They were sentenced to 25 months' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 each. Muthiah's wife Sakunthala was, however, acquitted.

The case against Malarvizhi had been split at the stage of questioning of the accused under Section 313 of the CrPC.