Disproportionate assets case: Madras HC sentences TN Minister K Ponmudi, wife to 3 years of simple imprisonment

The Madras High Court today sentenced Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and his wife Visalatchi to three years of simple imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case registered in 2011. 

Reportedly, Justice G Jayachandran pronounced the sentence after convicting the couple on December 19. Ponmudi and his wife were also ordered to pay a fine of 50 lakh apart from the jail sentence. 

The politician and his wife were present in the courtroom today. They had requested the Court to take a lenient approach while pronouncing the sentence keeping in mind their age and the fact that the case was an old one. 

The case dates back to the period when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was ruling and in power from 2006 to 2011. Ponmudi and his wife, Visalakshi, were prosecuted during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime in 2011 for allegedly accumulating assets beyond their income.

The trial court had decided to acquit the couple in the corruption case. In April 2016, T Sundaramoorthy, a special Judge for cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, had acquitted Ponmudi and Visalatchi saying that the prosecution, who had claimed that the couple possessed wealth and assets worth 1.75 crores in excess of their known sources of income, had failed to establish the guilt of the accused. 

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption then filed an appeal challenging this order. This was overturned by Justice Jayachandran, earlier this week, after which they were directed to appear before the Court.