NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has granted exemption to Tamil Nadu's former Higher Education minister K Ponmudy and his wife, P Visalakhi from surrendering before the trial court, after the Madras High Court's order holding the couple guilty in a disproportionate assets case.
A bench of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma considered the application, filed by the former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister, Ponmudy and his wife in his chamber.
While going through their case papers, the court granted exemption to the minister and his wife on the ground of their health condition.
Ponmudy and his wife filed their plea in January this year, challenging their conviction and three-year imprisonment in a Rs 1.75-crore disproportionate assets case.
Ponmudy, 73 and Visalakhi, 68, had filed their respective special leave petitions before the Top court challenging their conviction and sentence and sought setting aside their conviction and sentence.
On December 22, 2023, the Madras High Court, in its order, had sentenced the senior party leader and states former higher education minister Ponmudy and his wife to three-year imprisonment in a Rs 1.75-crore disproportionate assets case.
Justice G Jayachandran of the Madras HC, in the order, held the couple guilty under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988, also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on Ponmudy and his wife, P Visalakhi.
The court, however, granted the couple one month to surrender before the trial court to undergo the prison sentencing in the case in view their age and other factors.
After the conviction and sentence, Ponmudy also stood disqualified as a legislator from Thirukoyyilur constituency in accordance to the Representation of the People Act.
He claimed that the case against him was filed out of vengeance by the previous AIADMK regime and he claimed innocence in the case.
