A special court here on Monday acquitted former Minister and senior DMK leader K. Ponmudi and his wife P. Visalakshi in a disproportionate assets case registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2011.
K. Ponmudi alias Deivasigamani was the Minister for Higher Education and Mines in the DMK regime from 2006 to 2011.
He has been announced as party candidate for the Tirukoilur constituency in the May 16 Assembly election.
Not established
Pronouncing the judgment, T. Sundaramoorthy, Special Judge for cases under Prevention of Corruption Act, held that the prosecution has not established the guilt against Ponmudi under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act and against Visalakshi with sufficient legally acceptable evidence, both oral and documentary, and beyond reasonable doubt.
The DVAC’s charge was that Ponmudi and his wife Visalakshi were in possession of pecuniary resources and properties worth about 2.71 crore as on April 13, 2006, which marked the beginning of the check period and they had acquired and were in possession of pecuniary resources and properties worth Rs.6.27 crore as on March 31, 2010, when the check ended.
After calculating the total income of both, expenditure and likely savings, the DVAC contended that the accused were found to have acquired and in possession of pecuniary resources and properties which were disproportionate to their known sources of income as on March 31, 2010 to the extent of Rs.1.75 crore.
The accused were unable to account satisfactorily for the said quantum of assets found to be disproportionate to their known sources of income, when an opportunity was given to them.
The agency’s case was that Ponmudi, being a public servant, committed an offence punishable under 13(2) read with 13 (1)(e) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and his wife abetted by aiding Ponmudi in acquiring and possessed pecuniary resources and properties on his behalf disproportionate to the known sources of income.
