Wed Dec 03 00:00:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:
Summary:
This article recounts the legal troubles of former Tamil Nadu Minister K. Ponnusamy, stemming from a corruption case filed against him in the mid-1990s. The case hinged on the accusation that he amassed wealth disproportionate to his known income during his tenure as Education Minister. A key piece of evidence used against him was his past history of defaulting on loans decades earlier. He was ultimately convicted by a special court, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court, making him the first former Tamil Nadu minister convicted in a corruption case by the nation’s highest court. Years later, the Madras High Court ordered the release of seized properties belonging to his wife and daughter, who had been acquitted.
News Article:
Madras HC Orders Release of Seized Assets in Decades-Old Corruption Case Involving Ex-Minister
Chennai, India – December 3, 2025 – In a surprising turn of events, the Madras High Court has ordered the release of properties seized from the wife and daughter of former AIADMK Minister K. Ponnusamy, decades after he was convicted of corruption in a landmark case. The ruling effectively ends a legal saga that began in the mid-1990s.
Ponnusamy, who served as Education Minister in the early 1990s, was accused of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known income during his time in office. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption alleged that he acquired assets worth ₹77.49 lakh in the names of his wife, Prabavathy, and daughter, Mala.
A Special Court convicted Ponnusamy in 2000, a decision that was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2001. This made him the first former Tamil Nadu minister to be convicted of corruption by the highest court in the country. A peculiar element of the trial was the presentation of evidence about defaulted loans he had taken out and not repaid in 1973 and 1985.
While Ponnusamy was convicted, his wife and daughter were acquitted by the High Court in 2001, which determined that there was no evidence that they had intentionally aided Ponnusamy in committing the offense or that they even knew ill-gotten money was being used for purchasing property in their names.
The recent High Court order directs the state government to release the properties, including ₹77.49 lakh and 1,000 grams of gold ornaments, which had been seized from Prabavathy and Mala. The order was passed on an appeal despite the fact that the two women remained unrepresented in the appeal either in person or through their counsel. This marks the conclusion of a complex and protracted legal battle that has captured public attention for decades.
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