CHENNAI: The Madras High Court today refused bail to former minister and senior DMK leader K Ponmudi, accused of allegedly misusing his position to secure land belonging to a state transport corporation society for an educational trust, in which his mother-in-law is a trustee.Refusing the bail, Justice T Sudanthiram said "prima facie it appears that the petitioner (Ponmudi) had abused his official position being the minister of Tamil Nadu for the benefit of Siga Educational Trust (SET), thereby causing heavy loss and damage to the residents and members of Thanthai Periyar Transport Corporation Employees House Building Cooperative Society Ltd".Ponmudi was arrested on August 31 last.The Judge also rejected the bail application filed by Shanthi, secretary of the society, arrested on the same day for allegedly colluding with Ponmudi.Stating that the investigation "is at a crucial stage," the Judge said though the case is registered under the provisions of the IPC "this court is of the view that the case should be registered for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act also" as the special officer, secretary of the society and Ponmudi were all public servants at the relevant time.The Judge said prima facie materials were also available to show that Ponmudi, at the relevant time, had "deliberately planned" and got the sale deed executed through the secretary of the society.According to the prosecution, though Ponmudi's name was not in the FIR, the case was registered for conspiracy also under section 120-B of IPC.The SET was nothing other than a creation of the former minister, the prosecution alleged.The prosecution claimed that a "bogus" document had been created as if a resolution had been passed in 2005 to sell vacant land to the extent of 61,600 sq ft to the trust.Stating that the sale of the land was done according to established rules, Ponmudi's counsel, N Jothi, said that only due to political vendetta, after the AIADMK government came to power following the April 13 Assembly polls, Ponmudi had been included as an accused on the basis of a confessional statement of the first accused in the case, who had not been arrested.
Comments
0 comment