CHENNAI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday, exempted the former minister K Ponmudy and his wife P Visalatchi from surrendering in the disproportionate asset (DA) case.

Justice Sathish Chandra Sharma of the Supreme Court heard the application filed by Ponmudy and his wife, in his chamber and granted the interim relief.

The main Special Leave Petition (SLP) prefered by the couple in December, against the conviction of Madras High Court (MHC) is pending in the SC for admission.

Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi and Siddarth Luthra appeared for the couple contended that MHC made a wrong conviction by erred in clubbed the income of the couple as single entity and convicted in the DA case.

Visalatchi is not a public servant, but a seperate entity, running several business and generating income on her own, said the counsels.

Further she also established her source of income, however the MHC negativated her submissions, the counsel added.

In 2002 the DVAC registered a case against Ponmudy, his wife, his mother-in-law, and two others under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, for acquiring properties which were disproportionate to his known sources of income from 1996 to 2001 when he was a minister in the DMK regime.

The case was heard by the lower court, which aquitted Ponmudy and his wife. Justice G Jayachandran of Madras High Court heard the case and convicted the couple under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, on December 19, 2023, with three years of simple imprisonment.