A Thoothukudi district sessions court has acquitted former Tamil Nadu housing minister Anita Radhakrishnan and six members of his family in a disproportionate-assets case involving an alleged accumulation of assets worth Rs 4.90 crore, according to Dinamalar – Tamil Nadu.
The court’s order cleared all seven accused after the examination and cross-examination of witnesses had been completed. The case was registered by the Thoothukudi unit of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption after allegations that Radhakrishnan had acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The allegations relate to the period from 2001 to 2006, when Radhakrishnan served as housing minister during the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu. The case was registered in 2006, after the formation of a DMK government, and alleged that he had accumulated assets valued at Rs 4.90 crore beyond his known income.
Radhakrishnan was named as the principal accused along with his wife Jayakanthi, his sons Anantha Padmanabhan, Anantha Ramakrishnan and Anantha Maheswaran, and his brothers Shanmuganandam and Sivanandhan. The proceedings were conducted before the Thoothukudi district sessions court.
The case brought together public-office accountability and the scrutiny of property acquired by a former minister and his family during and after his tenure. Such cases are handled through the criminal justice system, with the prosecution required to establish the alleged disproportion between income and assets through evidence presented during trial.
Dinamalar reported that the court delivered its verdict after the completion of witness proceedings and ordered the discharge of Radhakrishnan, his wife, sons and brothers. The report does not provide the detailed reasons recorded in the judgment or indicate whether the prosecution intends to challenge the acquittal.
The court’s order concludes the trial at the district court level for all seven accused. Any further legal steps, including a possible appeal, would depend on the decision of the prosecuting authorities and the applicable judicial process.
