Chennai court issues nonbailable warrant for ex-DMK minister K Ponmudy
Former DMK minister K Ponmudy is in legal trouble after a Chennai court issued a nonbailable warrant for him.
He skipped a hearing about an alleged hate speech he gave at a DMK Youth Wing event in April 2025, after he failed to appear for the hearings.
Ponmudy charged under BNS sections
Ponmudy's speech reportedly targeted the Hindu religion and, although it happened behind closed doors, it was later uploaded on YouTube and other social media platforms.
After the controversy, he was removed from the post of deputy general secretary of the party on April 11, 2025, and charged with promoting enmity and hurting religious feelings under Sections 196(1)(a), 299 and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The court has now told police to arrest him and bring him in by September 2, following a complaint from BJP councilor Uma Anandan.