The Supreme Court on Monday suspended the 3-year sentence awarded to former Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi pursuant to his conviction in a disproportionate assets case.
The bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed that the appellant shall be enlarged on bail by the Special Court on appropriate terms and conditions. It further directed that K Ponmudi shall appear before the Special Court and complete the bail formalities within a period of 1 month. It clarified that till the time the bail formalities are completed, the order granting exemption from surrendering will continue to operate.
After the order was passed, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Ponmudi, sought to clarify whether the court is suspending the sentence. Confirming, Justice Oka replied that they are not suspending the conviction.
K Ponmudi moved the Supreme Court against a Madras High Court order setting aside his acquittal in a disproportionate assets case. The matter was registered against him and his wife by the Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) based on allegations that he amassed wealth disproportionate to his sources of income during his tenure as the Minister for Mines and Minerals in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government (2006-2010).
Following, the Trial Court acquitted the pair holding that prosecution failed to prove that they amassed wealth of Rs1.36 crores disproportionate to known sources of income. In December last year, however, a Bench of the Madras High Court found error in the trial Court order and set aside the acquittal.
The Trial Court directed the former minister and his wife to appear for hearing on sentence. Subsequently, the two were sentenced to simple imprisonment for 3 years, alongwith fine. Challenging the High Court order reversing the acquittal, K Ponmudi moved the Supreme Court. On Monday, his sentence was suspended, pending disposal of the appeal against the underlying order.