The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday attached over Rs 14 crore worth of assets in a money laundering case against Tamil Nadu minister K Ponmudy, his ex-MP son P Gautham Sigamani, and other family members. In July last year, the federal agency raided the premises of 73-year-old DMK leader and Minister for Higher Education and his son in Chennai and Villupuram as part of the investigation.
The PMLA case pertains to alleged illegal red earth mining which stemmed from a Tamil Nadu police FIR. The ED said that a provisional order was issued by it under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for attaching assets of Rs 14.21 crore.
According to the ED statement, Ponmudy was the minister of mines during 2007-10. Back then, he "managed" to allot five licenses in the names of his family members including, Dr P Gautham Sigamani, Sigmani's brother-in-law K S Rajamahendran, and Jayachandran, who "admitted" to acting on behalf of Sigamani in the quarrying of red earth in 'patta' lands, the agency further said in a statement. It alleged, "Red earth was extracted illegally beyond the permitted limits to the tune of Rs 25.7 crore and the sale proceeds were invested in the overseas entity,"
(With PTI Inputs)
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