Feature Image Courtesy: Vikatan
On Thursday (21 December 2023), the Madras High Court sentenced DMK minister K Ponmudy to three years in jail in a corruption case. A fine of ₹50 lakh has also been imposed on him However, he is not required to surrender immediately, as his jail term has been temporarily suspended for 30 days, providing him an opportunity to appeal his conviction in the Supreme Court.
Earlier on Tuesday (19 December 2023), the Madras High Court overturned a trial court’s decision to acquit DMK Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudi in the disproportionate case initiated against him.In response to an appeal by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Justice G Jayachandran, determined that the DMK minister had accumulated assets exceeding his known sources of income by 64.9% during his tenure as Minister for Mines and Minerals in the DMK government from 2006 to 2011.
In 2016, a special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) had acquitted Ponmudi and his wife P Visalatchi in the disproportionate assets case, initiated by the DVAC after the AIADMK assumed power in 2011.
The acquittal was based on the prosecution’s failure to establish the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Challenging this acquittal, the DVAC filed an appeal in 2017 before the High Court, alleging that the DMK leader had amassed ₹1.36 crore in assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
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