Ponmudi, M.K.Stalin, RN Ravi pt web
The High Court had sentenced Ponmudi in the asset embezzlement case a few months back. Ponmudi and his wife were sentenced to 3 years imprisonment each and a fine of Rs 50 lakh each. He was also ordered to undergo six months imprisonment in default of payment of the fine. Due to this verdict, Ponmudi lost his MLA and minister post in the following days.
Ponmudi
In this situation, Ponmudi filed a case in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict against him. When it came up for hearing a few days ago, the court suspended the sentence awarded to Ponmudi.
After the suspension of sentence in the case, the Legislative Assembly Secretariat announced that Ponmudi will continue as MLA of Thirukovilur constituency. After this, Ponmudi was expected to become a minister again. The Chief Minister also wrote to the Governor on the same day that the sentence was suspended. But the Governor went to Delhi on the day when Ponmudi was expected to become a minister again. It was informed that the Governor will go to Delhi as already planned and will return to Chennai on March 16.
Governor RN Ravi
In an environment where it was expected that Ponmudi would become a minister after the governor returned to Chennai, the governor refused to make Ponmudi take the oath of office as a minister. In his letter to the Chief Minister, he said, “The Supreme Court has suspended the sentence and not acquitted him. This judgment may have come so that he should not be without a member of the Thirukovilur assembly constituency.
But he wasn’t acquitted, and the charges remain. Therefore, Ponmudi cannot be sworn in as a minister,” he denied.