Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS): A special court on Wednesday sentenced former Tamil Nadu Minister, R. Indira Kumari, and her husband Babu to five years jail after convicting them for misappropriation of funds.

The special court for MP/MLA cases judge Alicia also sentenced former bureaucrat, Shanmugham, to three years in jail while Indra Kumari's personal assistant, Venkatakrishnan was let off with a fine of Rs 10,000.

Charges against another bureaucrat Kirubhakaran were dropped as he had passed away during the trial.

The prosecution contended that there was misappropriation of government funds to the tune of Rs 15.45 lakh to a trust run by the minister's husband Babu for establishing a school for the hearing and visually impaired, as the funds were never used for establishing the school and were, instead, siphoned off.

Indira Kumari was Social Welfare and Justice Minister in the cabinet of J. Jayalalithaa from 1991-1996 but later on, switched sides to the DMK.

On hearing the verdict, she complained of breathlessness and was rushed to a private hospital from where she was taken to the Royapettah Government Hospital.