Supreme Court stayed K Ponmudy's conviction in a disproportionate asset case
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.
Mr Ponmudy ceased to be an MLA and minister soon after the conviction in December 2023.
DMK's rival AIADMK had filed the alleged disproportionate assets case in 2011, the year it defeated the DMK.