CHENNAI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Tuesday are conducting searches at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu in connection with money laundering charges linked to illegal sand mining in the state, people familiar with the matter said.
The searches have been carried out in the districts of Trichy, Namakkal, Vellore and Karur. An official said that the offices and residential premises of major sand mining contractors were among those locations being searched.
The federal agency has not issued a statement on the raids yet.
Apart from the sand mining contractors such as S Ramachandran and ‘Dindigul’ Rathinam, ED is also conducting searches at 10 premises linked to an associate of jailed minister V Senthil Balaji, news agency ANI said.
Balaji was arrested on June 14 in connection with money laundering charges linked to corruption in the recruitment in the state’s transport department when he was the transport minister between 2011 and 2015 in the AIADMK-led government.
Later, the agency questioned higher education minister K Ponmudi and his son Gautham Sigamani, a parliamentarian, on July 18. At the time, ED said the politician was being questioned in connection with the “alleged issuance of red sand mining licences at five locations illegally by Ponmudi, who was the minister for mines” between 2007 and 2011. Ponmudi had alleged to have issued illegal licences for red sand mining to his son, relatives and some benami holders. It was alleged that a large amount of money generated from this illegal mining business was used to purchase assets abroad, the agency said.
{{/usCountry}}Later, the agency questioned higher education minister K Ponmudi and his son Gautham Sigamani, a parliamentarian, on July 18. At the time, ED said the politician was being questioned in connection with the “alleged issuance of red sand mining licences at five locations illegally by Ponmudi, who was the minister for mines” between 2007 and 2011. Ponmudi had alleged to have issued illegal licences for red sand mining to his son, relatives and some benami holders. It was alleged that a large amount of money generated from this illegal mining business was used to purchase assets abroad, the agency said.
{{/usCountry}}Senior DMK leader Durai Murugan holds the mining portfolio in the state.