Madras High Court To Take Up Suo Motu Revision Against Trial Court Verdict Acquitting Minister Ponmudi In Disproportionate Assets Case

Justice Anand Venkatesh has invoked Section 397 CrPC which allows any High Court or Sessions Court judge to call for and examine records of a criminal court below for the purpose of satisfying itself or himself about the correctness, legality or propriety of any finding, sentence or order, recorded or passed, and as to the regularity of any proceedings of such court.

The revision will be heard today by Justice Venkatesh. 

The case against Ponmudi and his wife was that while Ponmudi was serving as a Minister for Transport and Highways in the DMK regime from 1996 to 2001, he had amassed wealth of more that Rs three crore in excess of his income and had committed offence under Prevention of Corruption Act. Based on the same, a case was registered against Ponmudi and his wife in 2002 under Section 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 109 of IPC. 

Though the case was first filed in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Villupuram, it was later transferred to Principal District  Court, Vellore (Designated Special Court) in July 2022. The Vellore court,in June this year acquitted Ponmudi and his wife of all charges after noting that the prosecution had failed to prove the case against them beyond reasonable doubt. 

Case Title: Suo Moto RC v. Vigilance and Anti Corruption wing

Case No: CRL RC 1419 of 2023