Overview

• Special Judge Irshad Agha pronounced the acquittal in open court, and the detailed written order is awaited.
• Co-accused and former chief electrical engineer T. Nagarajan was also cleared of all charges.
• Investigators had alleged a June 27, 1998 notification granted an immediate 25% electricity rebate to industrial units, causing an estimated loss of about ₹4.5 crore to the state.
• The prosecution spanned decades with arrests in 2001, charges framed in 2006, and higher courts in 2007 and 2018 permitting the trial to continue.
• After the verdict, Godinho said he had waited 27 years for justice and described the case as political persecution.