Case against ex-Minister: verdict reserved
Natham Viswanathan has been accused of cheating a businessman of Rs. 2.97 cr.
The Judicial Magistrate Court II here on Tuesday reserved the verdict in a case registered against former Minister for Power Natham R. Viswanathan by Dindigul police for allegedly cheating a businessman to the tune of Rs. 2.97 crore.
After hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel R. Sivakumar and defence counsel M. Kannappan, Judicial Magistrate M. Balamurugan posted the case to November 7 for pronouncement of verdict.
The defence counsel, in his final argument, said Dindigul police had already closed the case citing ‘mistake of facts’ as reason. Only the police had the right to reopen it, and the complainant did not have the locus standi to seek its reopening. Moreover, no documentary evidence was produced on financial transactions, he said.
Mr. Viswanathan had appeared before the court in March 26, as directed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, and produced the copy of the anticipatory bail he had obtained in this connection. As per direction of the JM court, he had also produced two persons for surety.
Later, the court had asked him to sign at Dindigul North police station every Monday until further orders.
The High Court Bench had on March 16 granted anticipatory bail to Mr. Viswanathan on condition that he should appear before the investigating officer once a week until further orders.
The complainant, A. Sabapathy, a Dindigul-based businessman, claimed that he used to give money to people from different walks of life on the instruction of the former Minister, and get it reimbursed later ever since he got acquainted with Mr. Viswanathan. He reportedly gave the money to various persons during the last Lok Sabha elections. But the former Minister did not repay the money, he said.
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