Unexplained cash, foreign currency found at Tamil Nadu minister K Ponmudy’s premises, says ED
Seven premises linked to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader in Chennai and Villupuram were searched by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday.
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday alleged that it found “unexplained cash” worth Rs 81.7 lakh and Rs 13 lakh in foreign currency from premises related to Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his son, Lok Sabha MP Gautham Sigamani in Chennai and Villupuram.
The central agency said it also found fixed deposit receipts worth Rs 41.9 crore during the searches.
ED has conducted search operations under PMLA, 2002 on 17/07/2023 at seven locations connected to K. Ponmudy, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and a serving Minister of Higher Education in the Government of Tamil Nadu, and his son, Gautam Sigamani, MP.
— ED (@dir_ed) July 18, 2023
The searches at seven premises linked to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader took place on Monday in connection with allegations that Ponmudy obtained quarry licenses for his son and other family members.
Ponmudy and his son were also taken to the Enforcement Directorate office in Chennai for questioning. They were summoned again on Tuesday at around 4 pm, according to PTI.
The allegations against Ponmudy pertain to the period from 2007 to 2011, when he was the state minister for mines and resources. The 72-year-old politician and his relatives have also been accused of quarrying 2.64 lakh loads of excess red sand.
The Enforcement Directorate claims that the misappropriation had allegedly led to a loss of about Rs 28 crore to the exchequer. The Madras High Court had last month refused to stay proceedings in the case.
On Tuesday, the central agency said it has found “a trail of illegal proceeds” derived from “illicit activities” that are being used to acquire properties as well as companies, according to PTI.
“Various incriminating documents have been found, seized and are currently under analysis,” it said.
The Enforcement Directorate raids come a month after it searched DMK leader V Senthil Balaji’s home.
The central agency had arrested Balaji on June 14 on the allegations of conspiring with transport corporation officials to appoint candidates recommended by his aides. The Enforcement Directorate claimed that crores of rupees were taken as bribes from candidates in exchange for jobs.
Balaji’s arrest was upheld by the Madras High Court on July 14.
On Tuesday, Balaji and his wife Megala filed two separate petitions before the Supreme Court, challenging the order of the Madras High Court, reported PTI.
“The very arrest and the remand order were both illegal and contrary to law,” Balaji said in his petition. “As such the impugned judgements upholding the same are liable to be set aside.”