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

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the conviction and sentence of three years awarded to Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi in connection with a disproportionate assets case against him.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan also suspended the sentence of his wife P.l Visalakshi. 

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, represented the minister and his wife before the court.

In January this year, the apex court had exempted the minister and his wife from surrendering in the matter. The minister and his wife have not been imprisoned yet as the high court had suspended their sentence to allow them to move the apex court.

In December last year, the Madras High Court had sentenced the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister and his wife Visalatchi to three years of simple imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case. For the first time since the DMK came to power in 1967, a sitting Minister from the party has been convicted and sentenced in a disproportionate assets case. Ponmudi faced immediate disqualification upon his conviction as it was under Section 8(1) of the People’s Representation Act, 1951.

Ponmudi’s wife Visalakshi, the second accused in the case, also received a similar sentence. The judge suspended the sentence for 30 days to enable them to prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court. Both Ponmudi, 72, and his wife submitted their medical records and appealed for a lower quantum of punishment.