DMK MLA Anitha R. Radhakrishnan acquitted in ₹4.90 crore assets case after 20 years
Synopsis
After nearly 20 years in court, a Thoothukudi judge acquitted DMK MLA Anitha R. Radhakrishnan and six family members in a ₹4.90 crore disproportionate assets case filed by the DVAC after a change of government in 2006. The verdict closes one of Tamil Nadu's most politically watched corruption trials and raises familiar questions about the use of anti-corruption agencies as political instruments across party lines.
Key Takeaways
Thoothukudi District Sessions Judge Subha Devi acquitted Anitha R.
Radhakrishnan and six family members on 3 November 2026 .
The case involved allegations of accumulating assets worth ₹4.90 crore beyond legitimate income during his tenure as Housing Minister (2001–2006) under Chief Minister J.
The DVAC had registered the case in 2006 after DMK's M.
Karunanidhi returned to power — a circumstance that drew political scrutiny throughout the trial.
Those acquitted include Radhakrishnan's wife Jayanthi , three sons, and two brothers.
The legal battle lasted nearly 20 years , making it one of Tamil Nadu's longest-running political corruption cases.
Senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Tamil Nadu minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan was acquitted by a court in Thoothukudi on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, along with six members of his family, in a nearly two-decade-old disproportionate assets case involving allegations of illegally accumulating wealth worth ₹4.90 crore. The verdict ends one of Tamil Nadu's longest-running political corruption trials.
The Verdict
Thoothukudi District Sessions Judge Subha Devi pronounced the acquittal at approximately 4 pm on Tuesday, closing a legal battle that had stretched for nearly 20 years. The court had earlier scheduled 3 November for the judgment. Following the verdict, supporters of Radhakrishnan gathered in Thoothukudi and Tiruchendur to celebrate, with party workers bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets.
Background of the Case
Radhakrishnan, the sitting MLA from Tiruchendur, had served as Housing Minister in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government led by then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa between 2001 and 2006. The allegations centred on the alleged acquisition of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during that ministerial tenure.
Following the change of government in 2006, when DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi returned as Chief Minister, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) registered a case against Radhakrishnan and his family, alleging he had accumulated assets worth approximately ₹4.90 crore beyond his legitimate earnings.
Who Was Named in the Case
Besides Radhakrishnan, those named in the case included his wife Jayanthi, sons Anantha Padmanabhan, Anantha Ramakrishnan, and Anantha Maheswaran, and his brothers Shanmuganandhan and Sivanandhan — a total of seven accused across two generations of the family.
How the Trial Unfolded
The matter was heard before the Thoothukudi District Sessions Court, where proceedings continued for several years. The prosecution presented documentary evidence and examined witnesses in support of its allegations. Cross-examination was completed before the court reserved its judgment. The case had drawn considerable political attention, partly because of Radhakrishnan's association with both major Dravidian parties — AIADMK during his ministerial years and DMK thereafter.
Political Significance
This is not an isolated instance: disproportionate assets cases against politicians who crossed party lines in Tamil Nadu have frequently carried the perception of political motivation, a charge that opposition and defence counsels have repeatedly raised in similar matters across the state. The acquittal, coming after nearly two decades of litigation, adds to a growing body of such cases where courts have found the prosecution unable to meet the burden of proof. All seven accused now stand cleared, and Radhakrishnan continues to serve as the sitting MLA from Tiruchendur.
Point of View
Only to collapse in court years later under evidentiary scrutiny. That the DVAC moved against Radhakrishnan within months of the 2006 power shift invites the question — one that courts cannot answer — of whether the prosecution was driven by law or by politics. Seven people, including three sons, spent nearly 20 years under a criminal cloud. The verdict does not resolve that question, but it does add another data point to a troubling institutional pattern that neither Dravidian party has moved to reform.
NationPress
3 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anitha R. Radhakrishnan and why was he on trial?
Anitha R. Radhakrishnan is a senior DMK leader and the sitting MLA from Tiruchendur in Tamil Nadu. He was on trial in a disproportionate assets case filed by the DVAC in 2006, which alleged he had illegally accumulated wealth worth ₹4.90 crore beyond his known income while serving as Housing Minister under Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa between 2001 and 2006.
What was the verdict in the Thoothukudi court on 3 November 2026?
Thoothukudi District Sessions Judge Subha Devi acquitted Radhakrishnan and all six co-accused family members, ending a trial that had lasted nearly 20 years. The judgment was pronounced at approximately 4 pm on Tuesday.
Who else was named in the disproportionate assets case?
Apart from Radhakrishnan, the case named his wife Jayanthi, his three sons Anantha Padmanabhan, Anantha Ramakrishnan and Anantha Maheswaran, and his brothers Shanmuganandhan and Sivanandhan — a total of seven accused.
Why did the DVAC file the case in 2006?
The DVAC registered the case after the change of government in 2006, when DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister, replacing the AIADMK administration under which Radhakrishnan had served as Housing Minister. The case attracted political scrutiny throughout its life due to this timing.
How significant is this acquittal in the context of Tamil Nadu politics?
The acquittal closes one of Tamil Nadu's longest-running political corruption trials and reinforces a recurring pattern where DVAC cases filed after government changes struggle to secure convictions. It is a notable legal and political development for the DMK and for Radhakrishnan, who had contested and won elections while the case remained pending.
