The Madras High Court handed down a three-year simple imprisonment sentence to Tamil Nadu Education Minister K. Ponmudi in a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case. Justice G Jayachandran, presiding over the case, also levied a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on the minister and his wife. Notably, the judge suspended Ponmudi’s sentence for 30 days, considering his current role as the Higher Education Minister.
On Tuesday, the Madras High Court overturned a trial court ruling that cleared Ponmudi of charges in the DA case. Based on an appeal filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Justice G. Jayachandran overturned the trial court’s decision to acquit Minister Ponmudi. Ponmudi and his wife were ordered to appear in court on December 21.
The DA case dates back to the period when the DMK was in power from 2006 to 2011, and Ponmudi and his wife, Visalakshi, faced prosecution during the AIADMK regime in 2011 for allegedly accumulating assets beyond their income. The investigation, led by Villupuram District Anti-Corruption Superintendent of Police Kanniyappan, involved more than a hundred individuals, with chargesheets filed against the accused.
Initially tried in the Villupuram Chief Criminal Court, the case was later shifted to the Villupuram Anti-Corruption Special Court in 2015. Following a transition in power, the case was transferred to the Vellore District Principal Sessions Court in November 2022.
In a surprising turn, Ponmudi and his wife appeared in court on the day of judgment in the asset embezzlement case. The presiding judge, citing insufficient evidence, ruled in favor of the accused on June 28. With no appeal from the anti-bribery department against the judgment, Madras High Court Judge Anand Venkatesh took up the case suo motu.
Ponmudi sought resolution in the DA matter by filing an appeal in the Supreme Court, but the plea was dismissed by the apex court. The recent ruling by the Madras High Court has placed the Tamil Nadu Education Minister in a challenging legal position, and the upcoming days will likely witness further legal developments in this high-profile case.