Madras HC makes unusual observation, says wife of corrupt govt employee should also face consequences

MADURAI: In an unusual observation, the Madras High Court refused to set aside the conviction of a woman in a disproportionate assets case filed against her husband, a former cop and said that wife of a corrupt government employ should also face the consequences.

Justice KK Ramakrishnan, refusing to set aside one-year prison sentenced award by Special Court for Prevention of Corruption Cases, said that corruption starts from homes and if those at home are involved in corruption, there will be no end to it.

“It is the duty of the wife of a public servant to discourage her husband from receiving bribe. The basic philosophy of life is to stay away from bribes. If anyone accepts one, he and his family will be ruined. If they enjoyed the ill-gotten money, they should suffer. Corruption in this country is unimaginably pervasive. Corruption starts from home and if the home-maker is a party to corruption, there is no end to corruption. The life of Deivanayaki was a bed of roses because of the ill-gotten money, hence she should face the consequence,” the court said.

In 2017, a corruption case was registered against a police sub-inspector named Sakthivel. But Sakthivel died during the trial. Then the police filed a charge sheet with his wife Devanayaki as a co-accused. After the special court in Tiruchirappalli awarded her one year imprisonment, she approached the High Court with an appeal against the verdict.

During the period from January 1992 to December 1996, the police found that Shakthivel had amassed Rs 6.7 lakh illegally. As Sakthivel died while the case was pending, the court sentenced co-accused Deva Nayaki to one year in prison and a fine of Rs 1,000.