Litigation News

Mar 11, 2024

03:38 pm

2 min read

Supreme Court stays conviction of Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudi in corruption case

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also suspended the sentence of his wife and directed that she can move a special court for bail.

Abhimanyu Hazarika

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K Ponmudi, Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the conviction of Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi in connection with a disproportionate assets case against him [K Ponmudi vs State of Tamil Nadu].

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also suspended the sentence of his wife and directed that she can move the special court for bail.

The Madras High Court had in December sentenced the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister and his wife Visalatchi to three years of simple imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case.

In doing so, the High Court overturned a 2016 order of a special judge for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act acquitting Ponmudi and Visalatchi.

Ponmudi and his wife were also ordered by the High Court to pay a fine of ₹50 lakh in addition to their jail sentence.

This led to the instant appeals before the apex court.

On January 12, the apex court had exempted them from surrendering in the matter.

They have not been imprisoned yet as the High Court had suspended their sentence to allow them to move the apex court.

Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi, Siddharth Lutra and Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for the couple before the top court today.

Ponmudi and his wife are also parties to a suo motu revision case initiated by the High Court, in which the couple’s acquittal in another case of disproportionate assets in June last year is under review.