Supreme Court stayed K Ponmudy’s conviction in a disproportionate asset case
Chennai:
Disqualified Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader K Ponmudy will be reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction and three-year jail sentence in a disproportionate asset case.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to the Governor asking for Mr Ponmudy’s oath-taking as a minister today or tomorrow.
The DMK leader and his wife, P Visalakshi, faced allegations of acquiring wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income when he was the Higher Education and Mines Minister in the DMK government in 2006 and 2011.
The Supreme Court also stayed the sentence of Ms Visalakshi.
After Mr Ponmudy was disqualified, the higher education portfolio went to Backward Classes Welfare Minister RS Rajakannappan. Under the law, members of the legislatures are disqualified from either parliament or the assembly if a court convicts them.
A huge row had broken out over Mr Ponmudy’s disqualification in December 2023 after Governor RN Ravi demanded Mr Stalin to drop the DMK leader from the cabinet.
DMK’s rival AIADMK had brought the alleged disproportionate assets case to the attention of the courts in 2011, the year it defeated the DMK.
The case had led to a flashpoint between the Tamil Nadu government and the Governor, with Mr Stalin’s party accusing the Governor of deliberately delaying clearing bills passed by the assembly.
