FERA cases: Court dismisses T T V Dinakaran's plea for adjournment

CHENNAI: An economic offences court here today rejected the plea of AIADMK deputy general secretary T T V Dinakaran to adjourn the hearing of two cases filed by the Enforcement Directorate against him for alleged violation of foreign exchange laws in 1994.

Dinakaran, who is contesting the April 12 RK Nagar by-election, had filed a petition in the court with a plea to adjourn the hearing of the cases against him till the culmination of the poll process.

When the matter came up before Economic Offences Court-II judge Malarmathi, the ED counsel objected to Dinakaran's plea and contended that the cases were pending for 20 years and they should now be heard on a daily basis.

He also contended that there was no connection between the hearing of the cases and the by-election.

After hearing both the sides, the court declined to accept Dinakaran's plea.

Dinakaran is facing two cases filed by the ED against him on alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act ( FERA) provisions.

While the Economic Offences Court had, in 2015, discharged him from both the cases, the decision was recently reversed by the Madras High Court on a criminal revision petition filed by the ED.

While one of the cases pertains to a transfer of USD 1.04 crore to Dipper Investment through Barclays Bank, Virgin Islands, the other one relates to a transfer of 44.37 lakh pounds through West Bank Limited, Ireland, in violation of foreign exchange laws.