The Madras High Court on Thursday sentenced Tamil Nadu’s higher education minister K Ponmudy and his wife P Visalakshi to three years of simple imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case, reports The Indian Express.
With the conviction, he stands disqualified as a legislator and loses the post of Minister, as was seen in many other cases, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification following his conviction.
Justice G Jayachandran also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on Ponmudy and his wife with a provision of six more months of imprisonment in case they fail to pay the fine.
The High Court on Tuesday set aside a trial court’s order, which had acquitted them in 2016 in the case. Justice Jayachandran’s ruling declared the acquittal as “palpably wrong, manifestly erroneous and demonstrably unsustainable.”
The judge found Ponmudy guilty of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and his wife guilty of abutment.
Senior counsel N R Ellango, appearing for the accused, prayed the court to grant leave to enable them to file Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court and also to suspend the sentence.
The judge also granted leave for 30 days and suspended the sentence for the same period. On completion of the duration of suspension, they have to surrender before the trial court in Villupuram, the judge added.