In an ongoing operation that commenced Monday morning, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at multiple locations linked to Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy, his family members, and close associates.
According to sources cited by The Indian Express, the searches, initiated at 7 am, are focussed on properties linked to prominent DMK leader Ponmudi. The targeted locations include his residence, as well as the premises of his son and MP Gautham Sigamani, close relatives, and associates.
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A Saravanan, a spokesperson for the DMK, described the raids as “political vendetta aimed at testing the DMK’s resolve.”
Paramilitary forces have been deployed outside the minister’s residence to ensure the additional security of the ED officials involved in the operation. While the exact motive behind the raids is yet to be disclosed, sources suggest that they are related to a money laundering investigation.
This development follows the recent search conducted by the ED at the residence and properties of former Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Prohibition, and Excise, V Senthil Balaji. Subsequently, Balaji was arrested in connection with an alleged job racket scam.
Ponmudy and six others were acquitted in a land-grabbing case by a special court in Chennai last week. The court, as reported by PTI, released the DMK leader and the other defendants due to the prosecution’s failure to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt.