Disproportionate Assets Case: Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy Sentenced To Three-Year Prison Term

In a significant development, Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy, a key figure in the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has been sentenced to three years in prison in a disproportionate assets case.

The Madras High Court delivered the verdict under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with Ponmudi participating via video-conferencing.

As per reports by The New Indian Express, the court has granted a 30-day suspension of the sentence, allowing the minister and his wife, P Visalakshi, to appeal in the Supreme Court.

Ponmudi, a prominent DMK leader, faces automatic disqualification from the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly due to the three-year sentence, rendering him ineligible to contest elections for six years.

The conviction follows a 2011 FIR by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), and despite being acquitted in 2016, the DVAC filed an appeal in 2017.

Justice G Jayachandran, overseeing the case, criticised the trial court's decisions and deemed the acquittal as "palpably wrong and manifestly erroneous."

The sentencing adds a notable chapter to Tamil Nadu's political landscape, with Ponmudi becoming the second top leader to face Legislative Assembly disqualification in recent years.