Madras HC to review acquittal of 2 DMK ministers in disproportionate assets cases

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted searches at Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudi's residences last month.

Chennai: The Madras High Court has taken up suo moto revision of orders acquitting Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu in separate disproportionate assets cases.

The suo motu case on the DMK ministers has been taken by the Madras High Court against their acquittal from the disproportionate asset case by the lower courts.

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The revision of orders was taken up by Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court. The case has been listed for hearing on August 24.

Earlier, the Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court on August 10 had decided to take a ‘suo motu revision’ of a Trial court order acquitting Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy in a disproportionate wealth case.

The trial court on June 28, 2023, in its order, had acquitted Tamil Nadu Education Minister Ponmudy.

Earlier last month the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy was interrogated for eight hours at the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) office.

DMK spokesperson Saravanan alleged that the ED’s long hours of questioning amount to an “utter violation of human rights.” “It is a 2007 case. They are saying that if he is not interrogated today evidence will be lost. Whom are they trying to joke? It is a fraud played on the human rights of this country. He is a 72-year-old man. He is already under medication. This is an utter violation of human rights,” he said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted searches at Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudi’s residences last month.

Earlier in June, hours, after minister V Senthil Balaji was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Tamil Nadu minister Ponmudi, termed it a “revengeful act” and claimed that the Centre was doing wrong against states where there is a non-BJP government.