SC orders lawyer to pay ₹50L in TN fire tragedy case

NEW DELHI: A lawyer from Chennai, who allegedly cheated families of victims of the 2004 Kumbakonam school fire tragedy, has been asked by the Supreme Court to deposit ₹50 lakh with the Madras high court to avoid attachment of his and his relatives’ properties by investigating agencies.

A bench headed by Justice Kurien Joseph was hearing advocate S Tamilarasan’s appeal against a Madras high court direction ordering a probe against him and attachment of his and his relatives’ bank accounts and properties. The HC had also asked the Tamil Nadu Bar Council to take action against him and ordered suspension of his practise.

The court told him that the order will be vacated if he made the deposit with the HC within three weeks. As an interim measure, the top court put on hold registration of a criminal case against Tamilasaran and also the suspension of his practice.

The court also said that if victims, similarly situated to the petitioners before t he HC, approach the court, then the advocate shall deposit t he amount at the rate of ₹1 lakh per victim.

Tamilarasan was engaged by families to fight cases against the state government after a fire broke out at Sri Krishna School, Kumbakonam, in which 94 students died and 18 sustained burn injuries. The state had deposited money into the bank accounts of the families after a court order.

According to the victims, Tamilarasan allegedly asked the claimants to give two undated cheques and had obtained signatures on blank papers under threat and coercion. He allegedly deducted ₹2.3 lakh from each of account. It was revealed that Tamilarasan transferred more than ₹2 crore to his and his family member’s accounts.