Team News Riveting
Chennai, December 21
The Madras High Court on Thursday sentenced Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy to three years’ imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the minister, who was convicted for criminal misconduct under Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Ponmudy would lose his legislative assembly membership following the pronouncement of the quantum of the punishment. However, the sentence has been suspended for 30 days. MHC has imposed 3 years of simple imprisonment for both Ponmudy and his wife Visalatchi, impoimposing Rs.50 lakh fine each.
Minister K Ponmudy’s wife P Visalatchi had earlier submitted that she has five times higher income and wealth in comparison with her husband, in a suo motu initiation against the discharge of her from the case.
According to the chargesheet, the couple had assets worth Rs 2.71 crore at the beginning of the check period on April 13, 2006, which had increased to Rs 6.27 crore by May 13, 2010. After deducting their admissible income and expenditure, the couple could not satisfactorily explain the source of Rs 1.72 crore additional income.
Initially, the trial Court rejected the charges against Ponmudy and his wife. Both were acquitted in 2016.
“Even if A1 and A2, who are husband and wife as in the present case, live under one roof, it cannot be presumed that A2 had abetted A1 and acquired disproportionate assets. It is for the prosecution to prove it with sufficient oral and documentary evidence… In the present case there is no iota or shred of evidence to hold that A2 had abetted A1 and acquired disproportionate assets,” the special judge had then said.
However, the acquittal was challenged by the authorities in 2017 when the AIADMK retained power in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in 2016.
