T.N. government to appeal against Ponmudy’s acquittal in ₹28.37-crore red sand quarrying case, ED tells Madras HC

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has informed the Madras High Court that the Tamil Nadu government would be filing an appeal against the acquittal of former DMK Minister K. Ponmudy, his son Gowtham Sigamani, and five others from a ₹28.37-crore red sand quarrying case.

Appearing before the first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, ED Special Public Prosecutor P. Sidharthan said the State government had written to the Central agency expressing its decision to go on appeal against the acquittal.

The judges directed the SPP to file a detailed counter affidavit within two weeks to a batch of writ petitions filed by the acquitted individuals to quash the proceedings initiated by the ED against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on the basis of the red sand quarrying case.