Former ADMK Legislator has got a four-year prison sentence after being convicted for piling disproportionate assets. The Villupuram court in Tamil Nadu had on Monday dictated the verdict against the legislator and the verdict has come at a high time when the state is a week ahead of the assembly polls in which the ruling ADMK regime aims to form a new government for the third consecutive time. 

According to reports, Paramasivam had served as an ADMK legislator from 1991-96 from the Chinnasalem constituency. Though he wasn't active in politics in recent times, he was facing legal charges that he had exhumed more assets than his income while serving as an MLA. The Anti-corruption wing of Villupuram had filed a case against Paramasivam under the grounds of disproportionate assets and the legislator had been under probe for two decades. 

The case was transferred to the special court in Chennai which was set up to investigate the cases against the MLAs and MPs. Amid the probe, the case was again transferred to the Villupuram court and the case was under incessant investigation. Recently, the arguments from both sides had concluded following which the court had adjourned the case without pronouncing the date of the verdict.

The case has gained significant attention as the verdict was expected across the state. On Monday, the court has convened to deliver the judgment. The Villupuram district judge began delivering the verdict and he found the legislator guilty of piling illegitimate assets. As the legislator was convicted, the court dictated the verdict and awarded a four-year prison sentence to Paramasivam and the court has also ordered the former legislator to pay Rs 33 lakh as a penalty. 

The court further penned that Paramasivam would face an additional year of imprisonment if he fails to pay the penalty and the judge said that both movable and immovable assets bought by Paramasivam under his son's name between 1991-96 will be made state-owned properties. The development had come when the ADMK leaders are campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls. 

It must be noted that ADMK's patriarch Jayalalithaa served as the Chief Minister for the first time from 1991-96. It was during her first term as the Chief Minister she was accused of mounting disproportionate assets. Jayalalithaa was also imprisoned in Parappana Agrahara Central prison in Bangalore in 2014 and she had stepped down from the post of Chief Minister as she stepped into the prison. 

Jayalalithaa was later released on bail and she challenged the special court's verdict in the Karnataka High Court. The high court had acquitted her from the charges after which she had contested in the 2016 assembly polls and won the elections. However, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court against her acquittal, and during the hearing, Jayalalithaa had passed away in December 2016. 

In February 2017, the apex court convicted Jayalalithaa and her relatives Sasikala, Illavarasi, and Sudhakaran awarded them four-year imprisonment each. Jayalalithaa was removed from the case following her demise and the rest three of them had gone to prison. Last month, Sasikala and Illavarasi got released from the prison after four years and they had arrived in Chennai. Paramasivam has been awarded four-year imprisonment in Jayalalithaa's way for disproportionate assets cases like the late Chief Minister.