DA case: SC to hear former TN Minister Ponmudy's plea today

CHENNAI: The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea filed by former Minister K Ponmudy and his wife against the conviction and sentence in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case on Thursday.

The plea is set to be heard before Justice Satish Chandra Sharma.

In the plea, it is requested that the conviction and sentence should be suspended, and for exemption from surrendering in prison on account of Ponmudy's seniority, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

Earlier on November 6, 2023, the SC had refused to interfere with the pleas by K Ponmudy and his wife against the Madras High Court's order and praised Madras High Court Judge Justice N Anand Venkatesh for taking suo motu notice of the matter.

On December 23 last year, the Madras High Court had directed the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) to issue a fresh order to attach the properties of convicted Ponmudy in connection with the 2011 Disproportionate Assets (DA) case.

The Madras High Court on December 22, sentenced Ponmudy and his wife P Visalatchi to three years in prison under the Prevention of Corruption Act in a 2011 Disproportionate Asset (DA) case booked by the DVAC. Justice G Jayachandran also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on both convicts under Section 13 (1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988. The High Court allowed him 30 days to appeal suspending the operation of the sentence till January 22.

The DVAC, Villupuram, had booked Ponmudy and his wife in the DA case in 2011 alleging the former Minister and his wife had amassed Rs 1.79 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income during the check period between April 13, 2006, and March 31, 2010, when Ponmudy had served as Minister for Higher Education and Mines.