1. Madras HC takes up suo motu revision against acquittal of Ponmudy
In a rare move, the Madras High Court took up a suo motu revision against the recent acquittal of Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy, his wife and friend by a trial court from a disproportionate assets case registered in 2002.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh took up the revision after observing that events leading to the acquittal order passed by the Vellore principal district court on June 28 revealed “a shocking and calculated attempt to manipulate and subvert the criminal justice system.”
The charge against the Minister was that he had amassed wealth during his tenure as Transport Minister between 1996 and 2001.
2. ED freezes property of Senthilbalaji’s brother
The Enforcement Directorate has frozen the property in which a bungalow is being built by V. Ashok Kumar, brother of jailed Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji, at Andankoil East on the Karur-Salem Road, in Karur.
Mr. Ashok Kumar is allegedly constructing the huge bungalow with funds from Mr. Senthilbalaji on the campus, measuring 2.49 acres, where ED officials conducted checks on Wednesday.
The property was registered in the name of Nirmala, wife of Mr. Ashok Kumar, in the documents numbered 7628 and 9645 in 2022 in the Melakarur Sub Registrar Office. It is said that the property was gifted to Ms. Nirmala by her mother Lakshmi, who reportedly purchased it from an individual by clearing a huge sum of loan availed from a city-based bank, sources said.
3. State inks deal with Godrej for a manufacturing unit at Tiruporur
The Tamil Nadu government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) to set up a manufacturing unit in Chengalpattu district.
The MoU for setting up the unit near Tiruporur with an investment of ₹515 crore was signed in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the Secretariat. The unit is expected to provide employment for more than 400 people.
