The Madras High Court Bench here today ordered issue of notices to four persons including former DMK minister N Suresh Rajan,the Tamil Nadu home secretary and the CBI Director over a PIL demanding a CBI probe into alleged illegal amassment of wealth by the minister to the tune of Rs 500 crore during his tenure. Justices P Jyothimani and Justice M M Sundresh ordered the notices,returnable in four weeks,when the PIL filed by Nagercoil-based advocate S Girinivasaprasad came up for hearing. The court also ordered notices to be issued to Rajan's wife,D S Bharathy. The petitioner said the minister,according to his affidavit before contesting in elections in 1996,had declared assets worth Rs 24.27 lakh only. However,Rajan now had properties worth Rs 500 crore,he charged,adding he had acquired assets in the names of his wife,Bharathy,and benamis. One such property,allegedly registered in the name of a benami,was given as security to a bank for obtaining Rs 17 crore as loan,the petitioner alleged. The minister had purchased eight acres of prime land in Nagercoil town in the name of his wife in May 2008 for Rs 13.15 lakh,the petitioner charged. Rajan had not obtained permission from the government for obtaining the same,and Bharathy had given her husband's name in the document as N S Rajan,suppressing his first name,he charged. He also alleged the minister had also bought a fish net company worth Rs 100 crore during his tenure and that his wife was the Managing Director of the company. However,no action has been taken under the Prevention of Corruption Act or Law of Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act,he said. The petitioner also claimed that the minister possessed cars worth about Rs 60 lakh disproportionate to his income,and action should be taken against him. He had sent an representation to the CBI and the State Home Secretary to take action against the then minister,but the application was rejected,he said. The petioner demanded that in the interest of the public,the CBI should enquire into the wealth allegedly acquired by the former minister.
