Chennai, the High Court has ordered the closure of a case involving AMU General Secretary DTV. Dhinakaran and a fine of Rs.31 crore. The case was filed by S. Parthiban from Saitappettai, who accused Dhinakaran of being involved in foreign exchange fraud.
According to the petition, Dhinakaran was fined Rs.31 crore by the enforcement department in February 1998. Dhinakaran had challenged the order in the Foreign Exchange Regulatory Appellate Board, but his appeal was dismissed.
Subsequently, Dhinakaran filed a case in the High Court in 2017, which was also dismissed. He then appealed to the Supreme Court, but his appeal was once again dismissed. Despite the dismissals, Dhinakaran has not paid the penalty amount of Rs.31 crore, and the Enforcement Directorate has taken no action to recover the amount.
During the recent hearing, Dhinakaran’s senior advocate P. Kumar argued that the Enforcement Directorate had failed to take proper action in collecting the penalty amount for the past 25 years. He also noted that the Director of Enforcement refused to answer questions regarding this matter under the Right to Information Act.
In response, the bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice PT Adhikeshavalu ordered the closure of the case. They also acknowledged that the enforcement department was taking steps to declare Dhinakaran bankrupt.
DTV.Thinakaran’s lawyer highlighted that there is an ongoing civil case in the lower court related to this matter. However, the High Court judges recorded this information and closed the case.
This case has shed light on the enforcement department’s inaction regarding the collection of fines and penalties. It remains to be seen how Dhinakaran will resolve the outstanding penalty amount of Rs.31 crore.