DMK MP TR Baalu deposed before a Saidapet court that he had personal loans amounting to ₹1.46 crore and loans of ₹6.60 crore in his wife’s name and stated that he was unaware whether the lending company was owned by his son. The statement came during cross-examination conducted by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai in a defamation case filed by Baalu.
The defamation case initiated by Baalu against Annamalai came up for hearing before the 17th Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Saidapet on Monday.
Cross-Examination Proceedings
During cross-examination, Baalu responded to a series of questions raised by Annamalai regarding past allegations and financial dealings.
Referring to remarks allegedly made by former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, Baalu said claims that he had purchased 10 large ships during his tenure as Union Minister were politically motivated and unrelated to the present case. He also rejected suggestions that he had misused official position to acquire fishing vessels or to push the Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project for personal business gains.
Baalu further stated that similar allegations had been made during the 2014 election period by former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, which he described as false propaganda.
On Industrial Unit Allegations
When questioned about protests by residents in Vadacheri village in Thanjavur district against an alleged liquor unit run by his family, Baalu denied the claim. He clarified that the facility in question was a chemical factory and that he was only a shareholder in the company. He added that the protests were directed against the company and not against him personally.
Loan Details
Addressing financial queries, Baalu told the court that he had declared loans of ₹1.46 crore in his name and ₹6.60 crore in his wife’s name. He said the loan had been obtained from a firm named “Trion Impex” (as cited in court proceedings) and that he did not know who owned or managed the company. He added that even if his son Rajkumar were connected to the firm, he was not aware of it and did not consider it necessary to verify.
He also rejected suggestions that the loan arrangement amounted to laundering unaccounted money, even though the firm’s GST registration had allegedly been cancelled.
Property-Related Questions
Baalu, in turn, questioned Annamalai’s financial background during the exchange, referring to land purchases made in Annamalai’s wife’s name and asking about the source of funds, noting that Annamalai had only recently retired from government service. He also raised references to business links involving Annamalai’s relatives and a brick kiln unit that had reportedly faced a CBI search.
Annamalai’s Statement Outside Court
Speaking to reporters outside the Saidapet court complex, Annamalai said he had personally conducted Baalu’s cross-examination for nearly three hours, expressing confidence in the corruption allegations he had raised against the DMK leader.
He said the cross-examination covered multiple subjects, including the Sethusamudram project, the industrial unit controversy, and ownership details of vehicles used by Baalu. He added that the questioning had been adjourned as Baalu had to leave for a scheduled flight.
Annamalai further alleged that Baalu made fresh defamatory remarks during the hearing by claiming that Annamalai had acquired properties in his wife’s name. He said Baalu was unaware of his wife’s educational qualifications, income, and tax payments, and announced that he would be filing a fresh defamation case against Baalu over those remarks.
The case has been adjourned for further cross-examination.
Source: Dinamalar
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