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Charges framed against another Jaya colleague

Special Judge P Anbazhagan, trying some of the corruption cases against former chief minister J Jayalalitha and her erstwhile cabinet colleagues, today framed charges against former transport minister K A Sengottaiyan and three others in the case relating to misappropriation of Rs 15.4 million in the purchase of spare parts for the inter-state transport corporation then named after Jayalalitha.

The judge said he was framing charges under Sections 120(b) and 409 of the IPC and Sections 7, 9 and 13 read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The judge said the charges against them amounted to misuse of their official position in handling the transport corporation's funds to obtain pecuniary advantage and illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 15.4 million. They had also caused wrongful loss of Rs 53,88,000 to the transport corporation in the purchase of electronic appliances and placement of orders for constructing bus bodies, and this amounted to criminal breach of trust, the judge added.

Sengottaiyan and the other accused -- his personal assistant Ezhilazhagan, former transport corporation managing director T Sethuraman and supplier M R Natatajan -- who were present in the court, pleaded not guilty.

The judge said the trial would commence on June 12.

Charges had already been framed against the four in similar transport purchase scams in the erstwhile Anna and Jeeva Transport Corporations.

UNI

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