T.N. Minister P. Geetha Jeevan, family members, acquitted in disproportionate assets case

The case was filed in 2001 against N. Peiyasamy, former MLA and Ms. Jeevan’s father, as well as various members of her family; Mr. Perisamy passed away as in 2017; the Minister said the case had been filed for “political vendetta”

A court in Thoothukudi has acquitted Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan, and her younger brother and Mayor of Thoothukudi Corporation Jegan Periyasamy, in a disproportionate assets case filed against her, her father, and former Thoothukudi MLA N. Periyasamy as well as her family members.

When Mr. Periyasamy of the DMK represented the Thoothukudi Assembly constituency between 1996 and 2001, Ms. Geetha was the chairperson of the Thoothukudi District Panchayat. When the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK government returned to power in 2001, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed case against Mr. Periyasamy, his wife Ebenezer, Ms. Geetha, Periyasamy’s sons N.P. Raja and Jegan and son-in-law Jeevan Jacob, for allegedly amassing wealth to the tune of ₹ 2.31 crore, which was disproportionate to their known sources of their income.

Even as the trial of the case was going on, Mr. Periyasamy passed away in 2017 due to ill health and the remaining five accused stood for trial.

 As all the five appeared before the court for the judgment on Wednesday, Principal District Judge Gurumurthy acquitted them.

Emerging from the court complex, Ms. Geetha said the case filed by the then AIADMK government “for political vendetta” had been defeated in a court of law. “Justice has finally prevailed,” she said before leaving the court complex.