NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, MARCH 11
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the conviction of Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy in a disproportionate assets case and suspended his sentence of three years’ imprisonment.
- The top court also suspends the sentence given to Ponmudy’s wife, she can move the special court for bail
- The case against Ponmudy and his wife was registered in 2002 when the AIADMK government was in power
The Supreme Court’s order overturned the Madras High Court’s judgment in December 2023 when Ponmudy and his wife were sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined Rs 50 lakh each.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also suspended the sentence given to Ponmudy’s wife and said she can move the special court for bail.
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The case against Ponmudy and his wife was registered in 2002 when the AIADMK government was in power in Tamil Nadu. It was alleged that the duo had an income of Rs 1.4 crore, which was disproportionate to their known sources of income at the time.
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption claimed that Ponmudy amassed illegal wealth during his stint as a minister in the state government from 1996-2001.
In June last year, a principal sessions court in Vellore acquitted Ponmudy and his wife in the case, stating that the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence.
However, the Madras High Court overturned the Vellore court’s acquittal and convicted the couple.
Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Siddharth Lutra and Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for the couple before the top court on Monday.
