15 candidates in Madurai face criminal charges

Madurai: First, the good news. Candidates fielded by Congress, CPI, CPM and IJK in 10 assembly constituencies of the city have no criminal records. But 15 candidates belonging to DMK, AIADMK, DMDK, TMC, PMK and BJP have criminal cases pending against them before courts and police stations.

In all, 182 candidates, including 18 women, are contesting from the 10 assembly constituencies of the city.

According to the Representation of People Act, those convicted and sentenced to more than two years in jail are not eligible to contest in the general elections. But there are many candidates in the 15 {+t} {+h} Tamil Nadu assembly election against whom criminal cases, including attempt to murder which invites a minimum of 10-year jail term, are pending before the subordinate judiciary for years together.

Interestingly, no final reports were filed by the concerned police wings before the courts, due to which the cases against the candidates have not been taken cognizance by the court.

Out of the eight DMK candidates, two have criminal records. Ten cases, including attempt to murder, are pending against DMK's Madurai West candidate G Thalapathy and five cases, including attempt to murder, are pending against its Madurai East candidate P Moorthy since 2002.

Similarly, out of 10 AIADMK candidates, M Jayapaul for Madurai Central and K Manickam for Sholavandan (SC) constituencies have criminal records. A review petition challenging the closure of forgery case against Manickam is still pending before the Madras high court.

All three DMDK candidates have criminal records. While an attempt to murder case is pending since 2014 against DMDK's Thirumangalam constituency candidate M Seenivasan, Madurai North candidate Mujibir Rahman and Madurai Central candidate D Sivamuthukumar have criminal records. A non-bailable warrant issued by the trial court against Sivamuthukumar and Mujibir Rahman still exists.

PMK has fielded seven clean candidates out of 10. Its Sholavandan candidate S Muthiah, Madurai West candidate R Krishnakumar and Madurai North candidate R Asaikumar have criminal records. Asaikumar has been booked under the Essential Commodities Act.

In the case of BJP, its six candidates have no cases except Usilampatti candidate M Sangili and Madurai East candidate M Suseendram.

MDMK's Madurai South candidate M Boominathan and VCK's Sholavandan candidate R Pandiammal have four cases pending against each. TMC's T N Bharat Natchiappan has one case pending against him.

M Elangovan, 50, a resident of Tahsildar Nagar and an employee of a private firm, says, "It is really bad that cases are kept pending without filing final reports by the police. The judiciary should push the police to speed up the case and initiate action against officials who delay in filing final reports."

Former CPM MLA N Nanmaran says, "There are many cases pending before trial courts. Justice delayed is justice denied."