ED Raid In Tamil Nadu : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday raided the premises of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and his son and MP Gautam Sigamani in connection with a money laundering case. Official sources gave this information. Sources said apart from capital Chennai, searches are being conducted at premises connected to Ponmudi and Sigamani in Vilupuram. The money laundering case pertains to alleged irregularities committed when Ponmudi was Tamil Nadu’s mining minister (from 2007 to 2011). He was accused of violating the mining license conditions. Due to this, a loss of about Rs 28 crore was claimed to the exchequer.
#WATCH , Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials search Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi’s residence in Villupuram district. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/H9bLkYPk7F
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2023
Similar action was also taken against Transport Minister Senthil Balaji.
The ED had recently taken similar action against senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Transport Minister Senthil Balaji. The DMK has termed the raids against Ponmudi and Sigamani as ‘political vendetta’. The ED has conducted this raid on a day when DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is going to attend a meeting of opposition parties called by the Congress in Bengaluru. However, official information regarding ED’s action has not come yet.
DMK spokesperson said – this is an act of political vendetta
DMK spokesperson A Saravanan told PTI, “This is an act of political vendetta and it is aimed at breaking the resolve of the DMK.” No action has been taken by the central authorities against the (AIADMK) leaders. Saravanan claimed that the DMK under the leadership of Chief Minister Stalin was playing a key role in taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ED’s action was aimed at “intimidating” the party.