The Madras High Court has affirmed the one-year imprisonment sentence of Nallammal, the wife of late AIADMK minister A M Paramasivan, in a corruption case involving disproportionate assets. This ruling comes over two decades after the appeal was first admitted by the High Court. Although Paramasivan, who served as the state minister of labor from 1991 to 1996 in the J Jayalalithaa cabinet, was sentenced to two years, he passed away during the pendency of the appeal.
Justice G Jayachandran, while dismissing the appeal moved by the late minister and his wife, ordered,
“The criminal appeal is dismissed. The trial court is directed to secure the appellant and commit her to prison to undergo the remaining period of sentence.”
The judge also directed for the setting off of any period of detention already undergone against the sentence. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had filed an FIR against Paramasivan in 1997 for amassing wealth worth ₹33 lakh disproportionate to his known sources of income. Both were convicted in 2000, with Paramasivan sentenced to two years and Nallammal to one year of imprisonment.
The High Court, in its verdict, noted that during his tenure as a public servant, Paramasivan had acquired wealth 400 percent more than his known sources of income. The court observed that Nallammal aided in the crime by lending her name to the illegal acquisition of assets. Despite arguments for leniency due to Nallammal’s advanced age, the court held firm, stating,
“The offence being acquiring wealth by a public servant beyond his known source of income and A-2 for aiding the public servant, had been sentenced for one year R.I being the minimum sentence prescribed under the law. So there cannot be further reduction of sentence. In such circumstances, the appellant/A2 has to be sentenced to undergo at least the minimum sentence which is one year.”
Justice Jayachandran directed the trial court to “secure Nallammal and commit her to prison” to undergo the sentence. Additionally, the judge ordered the forfeiture of the appellant’s properties to recover ₹33.25 lakh with interest of 6 percent from 1997.
This case underscores the ongoing efforts of the Indian judiciary to address corruption and uphold the rule of law, even in high-profile cases involving political figures and their families. The Madras High Court’s decision reflects a commitment to ensuring accountability and justice in cases of disproportionate assets and corruption.
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