Tamil Nadu minister K Ponmudy acquitted in land grabbing case

A special court here trying cases against MPs and MLAs on Thursday acquitted Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minster K Ponmudy in a land grabbing case.

Holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt, Special Judge G Jayavel acquitted Ponmudy, a senior DMK leader and six others.

The prosecution case was that during the period 1996-2001 when Ponmudy was Transport minister in the then DMK regime, he had grabbed 3,630 sq. ft. of government land at Saidapet in the city and registered it in his mother-in-law's name.

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Following a complaint, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed the present case against Ponmudy and 9 others.

During the pendency of the case, his mother-in-law and two others died.