JUDGEMENT
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(1.)CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.22-23 OF 2014 (@SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION(CRL.)Nos.3810-
3811 of 2012)
The State of Tamil Nadu aggrieved by the order dated 10th of December,
2010 passed by the Madras High Court in Criminal R.C.No.528 of 2009 and
Criminal M.P.(MD) No.1 of 2009, setting aside the order dated 25th of
September, 2009 passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Special
Judge, Nagercoil (hereinafter referred to as 'the Special Judge'), whereby
he refused to discharge the respondents, has preferred these special leave
petitions.
(2.)Leave granted.
(3.)Short facts giving rise to the present appeals are that Respondent No.
1, N. Suresh Rajan, during the period from 13.05.1996 to 14.05.2001, was a
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly as also a State Minister of
Tourism. Respondent No. 2, K. Neelkanda Pillai is his father and
Respondent No. 3, R.Rajam, his mother. On the basis of an information that
N. Suresh Rajan, during his tenure as the Minister of Tourism, had acquired
and was in possession of pecuniary resources and properties in his name and
in the names of his father and mother, disproportionate to his known
sources of income, Crime No. 7 of 2002 was registered at Kanyakumari
Vigilance and Anti Corruption Department on 14th of March, 2002 against the
Minister N. Suresh Rajan, his father, mother, elder sister and his bother-
in-law. During the course of the investigation, the investigating officer
collected and gathered informations with regard to the property and
pecuniary resources in possession of N. Suresh Rajan during his tenure as
the Minister, in his name and in the name of others. On computation of the
income of the Minister from his known sources and also expenditure incurred
by him, it was found that the properties owned and possessed by him are
disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs.
23,77,950.94. The investigating officer not only examined the accused
Minister but also his father and mother as also his sister and the brother-
in-law. Ultimately, the investigating agency came to the conclusion that
during the check period, Respondent No.1, N. Suresh Rajan has acquired and
was in possession of pecuniary resources and properties in his name and in
the names of his father, K. Neelakanda Pillai (Respondent No. 2) and mother
R. Rajam (Respondent No. 3) and his wife D.S. Bharathi for total value of
Rs. 17,58,412.47. The investigating officer also came to the conclusion
that Minister's father and mother never had any independent source of
income commensurate with the property and pecuniary resources found
acquired in their names. Accordingly, the investigating officer submitted
the charge-sheet dated 4th of July, 2003 against Respondent No.1, the
Minister and his father (Respondent No.2) and mother (Respondent No.3)
respectively, alleging commission of an offence under Section 109 of the
Indian Penal Code and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(e) of the
Prevention of Corruption Act. Respondents filed application dated 5th of
December, 2003 under Section 239 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
(hereinafter referred to as 'the Code'), seeking their discharge. The
Special Judge, by its order dated 25th of September, 2009 rejected their
prayer. While doing so, the Special Judge observed as follows:
"At this stage it will be premature to say that there are no
sufficient materials on the side of the state to frame any
charge against them and the same would not be according to law
in the opinion of this court and at the same time this court
has come to know that there are basic materials for the
purpose of framing charges against the 3 petitioners, the
petition filed by the petitioners is dismissed and orders
passed to that effect."