Earned 5 times higher than my husband: K Ponmudy's wife tells MHC

CHENNAI: Minister K Ponmudy's wife P Visalatchi 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 disproportionate (DA) asset case.

The case was heard by Justice G Jayachandran.

Senior counsel R Basant appeared for Visalatchi and contended that the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) had clubbed the assets of Ponmudy and his wife, which is erroneous.

Visalatchi is a businesswoman who runs various companies, and she is not just a coy and naive domesticated housewife, said the counsel.

She is from an affluent family, having 350 sovereigns of gold jewels and above 26 acres of agricultural land, submitted the counsel. She has invested Rs.53 lakhs in business such as Vishal exports and Vishal automobiles, through her business she is making above Rs.2 crore as income which is 5 times higher than the income of Minister Ponmudy, said the counsel.

The investigation of DVAC also revealed she has done huge amounts of transactions through her bank accounts for the means of business.

The counsel contended that Visalatchi filed advanced tax and TDS before the check period which is 2006, and she has been a taxpayer since 2002.

Even as per the inquiry report of DVAC, Visalatchi doesn't hold any property of Ponmudy, and she has various sources of income on her own. However, the DVAC has clubbed the income of Visalatchi and her husband, made out of the DA case.

After the submission, the judge adjourned the matter to December 1 for further hearing.

On August 10, Justice N Anand Venkatesh initiated suo-motu against the discharge of Minister Ponmudy and her wife Visalatchi from a DA case.

The judge raised several suspicions about the manner the trial was done, including that the judge demitted office merely two days after the order was delivered.