Madras High Court sentences Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy to 3 years of simple imprisonment in a disproportionate assets case. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on Ponmudy and his wife. The court suspended the sentence for 30 days for Ponmudy as he is currently holding the Higher Education department portfolio.
With this conviction, the minister will also lose his Parliament membership.
The prosecution case was that Ponmudy had amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 1.75 crore in his name and in the name of his wife, disproportionate to his known sources of income when he was a Minister between 2006 and 2011 in the DMK regime.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate alleged that DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy issued "illegal" red sand mining licenses to his MP son, relatives and some 'benami' holders, and that huge amount of "hawala" funds generated from this mining business was used to purchase companies abroad.
It said it has seized "unexplained cash" of Rs 81.7 lakh and foreign currency, primarily British pounds, equivalent to about Rs 13 lakh from Ponmudy's residence apart from fixed deposit receipts worth Rs 41.9 crore.
