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.
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