Tamil Nadu MLA disqualified: Sadhan Thirumalai Kumar convicted in Rs 1 crore cheque bounce case

CHENNAI: MDMK MLA T Sadhan Thirumalai Kumar, who represents Vasudevanallur assembly constituency in Tenkasi district, now faces disqualification after being found guilty by a city court in a cheque bounce case. His two-year prison term was, however, suspended for two months so that he can file an appeal.

The suspension notwithstanding, Sadhan Thirumalai Kumar is set to be immediately disqualified under section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act.


According to the prosecution, Sadhan Thirumalai Kumar borrowed 1 crore from New Link Overseas Finance Limited, a finance firm based in Royapettah, in 2016. Towards repayment of the loan, he issued two cheques of 50 lakh each. But when the cheques were presented for encashment, they were dishonoured due to insufficient funds in his bank account.

Aggrieved, the company filed a cheque bounce complaint against Sadhan Thirumalai Kumar before the Egmore court in Chennai in 2019. Since he was an MLA, the case was transferred to the court for cases involving MLAs and MPs here. Then, based on court orders, the case was transferred to the III metropolitan magistrate court, George Town, Chennai.

On Tuesday, metropolitan magistrate C Sundarapandian held that the charges against Sadhan Thirumalai Kumar were proved beyond reasonable doubt. The judge sentenced him to two years of imprisonment and directed him to pay 1 crore to the company within two months. The court said failure to pay the amount would result in an additional three months of imprisonment.