ED seizes cash, documents in raids on Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudy
According to sources, Ponmudy allegedly violated the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concessions Act during his 2006-2011 tenure as Mines and Minerals Minister.
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Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his MP son Gautham Sigamani. (File Images) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed to have seized incriminating documents and cash during searches related to a decade-old case against Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy, his son and Kallakurichi MP Gautham Sigamani.
According to an ED statement on Tuesday, searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at seven locations linked to Minister Ponmudy and MP Sigamani.
“The searches yielded various incriminating documents, cash amounting to Rs. 81.7 lakh, foreign currency (British pounds) equivalent to approx Rs. 13 lakhs, and fixed deposits worth Rs. 41.9 crore were frozen,” the ED noted.
Searches at residences and properties associated with the DMK leaders began Monday morning. They were summoned to the ED office in Chennai and questioned into the early hours of Tuesday, then asked to appear again Tuesday evening.
According to sources, Ponmudy allegedly violated the Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concessions Act during his 2006-2011 tenure as Mines and Minerals Minister. He allegedly irregularly allocated a red sand quarry at Poothurai under the Vanur block in disregard of the Act’s provisions and the Mines and Minerals Act.
DMK leaders criticised the ED for questioning Ponmudy for over 13 hours without considering his age and health.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, while in Bengaluru, called Ponmudy and assured DMK’s support. “The Chief Minister told Ponmudy that the party will back him morally, politically and legally to oppose the BJP-led Union government’s political vendetta,” a DMK statement said.
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