In a major relief to former Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, the Supreme Court in its order on Monday stayed his conviction in connection with a disproportionate assets case against him.
A bench of the top court, headed by Justice Abhay S Oka and also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, in its order, also suspended the sentence of his wife P Visalatchi and directed her that she can move the special court for bail.
The top court passed the order after hearing from senior advocate and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who appeared for the couple before the top court and argued that they were innocent in the case.
The Supreme Court had in January in its decision refused to grant an interim stay on the three-year jail sentence ordered by the Madras High Court to former DMK minister Ponmudi and his wife Visalatchi in a Rs 1.75 crore DA case.
Ponmudi and Visalatchi had knocked the doors of the Supreme Court on January 3, challenging their conviction and three-year imprisonment in the DA case.
Ponmudi, 73, and Vishalatchi, 68, had filed their respective Special Leave Petitions (SLP) before the top court challenging their conviction and sentence.
On behalf of Ponmudi and Visalatchi, advocates Agarwala and Pulkit Tare filed the SLPs before the top court.
They sought stay of the order of the Madras HC and exemption from surrendering.
On December 22 last year, the Madras High Court, in its order, had sentenced Ponmudi and his wife to three-year imprisonment in a Rs 1.75-crore disproportionate assets case.
Justice G Jayachandran of the Madras HC, in the order, held the couple guilty under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988, and also imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on Ponmudy and Visalatchi.
The HC, however, in January had granted the couple one month to surrender before the trial ourt to undergo the prison sentencing in the case. It did so, keeping in view their age and other factors.
Following the order of the Madras HC, which sentenced Ponmudi to three-year prison term, he was disqualified as a legislator from Thirukoyyilur constituency, in accordance to the Representation of the People (RP) Act.
Ponmudi claimed that the case against him was filed out of vengeance by the previous AIADMK regime and claimed innocence in the case.