The Madras High Court on Thursday temporarily halted proceedings in a case against former Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy for his allegedly defamatory remarks about women and two denominations of Hinduism, Live Law reported.
Justice AD Jagadish Chandira passed the interim direction on Ponmudy’s plea seeking a halt on the proceedings till his pending plea to quash a magistrate court’s cognisance of the complaint against him, is dealt with.
The High Court also allowed Ponmudy’s plea to exempt him from further appearance before the magistrate, Live Law reported.
The proceedings against Ponmudy stem from his comments at an event in Chennai on April 6.
A widely shared video shows the former minister purportedly linking sexual positions to Hindu denominations Shaivism and Vaishnavism. The comments were made in the context of a joke involving a sex worker and her client.
Taking note of the matter on April 17, 2025 the High Court directed the Tamil Nadu police to register a first information report against Ponmudy. When no case was registered, the court initiated suo motu proceedings against the former minister, holding that his comments amounted to “hate speech”, Live Law reported.
On September 16, the court closed the proceedings after the Tamil Nadu government informed that all the complaints had been duly investigated and closed since there was no incriminating material, Live Law reported.
However the court allowed complainants to approach the concerned jurisdictional magistrates against the closure of complaints.
Following this, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Anandan approached the Metropolitan Magistrate in Chennai holding that Ponmudy must be tried against sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups, deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class and disturbing religious assembly.
Despite Ponmudy’s counsel questioning the maintainability of the complaint, the magistrate took cognisance of the matter, holding that there was a prima facie case made out against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader.
Ponmudy then approached the High Court against this action.
After outrage against his remarks, Ponmudy was sacked as deputy general secretary of the DMK by Chief Minister MK Stalin on April 11.
On April 27, he resigned as the state’s forest minister after facing criticism from the Madras High Court and within the DMK.
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