R Indira Kumari, a former minister in Tamil Nadu accused along with others of misappropriating funds during her political tenure in the 1990s, was sentenced to a five-year jail term Wednesday by a special court. Kumari's husband Babu and another retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) too have received the same sentence.
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The case filed in 1996 was pending for 25 years.
The accused were involved in the misuse of government funds, which they said went into a trust that was committed towards the education sector, as per Times of India. However, though documents were created to indicate the use of funds there was no development to show, leading to a reported loss of 15 lakh rupees.
Know Who Is Indira Kumari: Former Minister Now Going To Jail
Kumari served as the social welfare minister from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), during the 90s under the Chief Ministership of Jayalalithaa. She was a candidate from Natrampalli, Vellore. She later joined Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, led by M Karunanidhi, in 2006.
As per reports, the accused in the funds misappropriation case were booked in 1996, with allegations of misusing finances meant for schools as well as of corruption.
Reports from 2004 show Kumari, her personal assistant and other ministers from Tamil Nadu got an acquittal in the 'chappal scam' case that involved an amount of Rs 1.20 crore. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption levelled charges against the accused of irregularities in the distribution of slippers to rural school children in the 90s, as per Outlook. A special court gave them relief observing the lack of evidence provided by witnesses.
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A year prior to that, the accused had been acquitted in the 'free dhoti scam' case, involving over Rs 11 crore, with the court pulling up Tamil Nadu police for letting the "real culprits" go free.
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