PMLA Raids in Chennai Target DMK Minister Periyasamy, MLA Senthil Kumar

Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches on homes of Tamil Nadu Minister I. Periyasamy and his family members, as well as MLA Senthil Kumar, on Friday as part of a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) investigation.

Periyasamy, who had previously been released from a disproportionate assets case by the trial court, had the relief revoked by the Madras High Court, prompting additional investigation.

Minister Periyasamy, 72, presently holds the rural development ministry in Tamil Nadu, which includes panchayats and panchayat unions.

Earlier this year, the ED investigated suspected irregularities at TASMAC totalling Rs 1,000 crore, including procurement procedures, inflated liquor bottle costs, and licensing manipulation.

Raids were conducted at the homes of prominent officials, including the TASMAC Managing Director, as well as at the offices of various distillery owners.

That case, however, turned into a massive court battle. In May, the Supreme Court delayed the investigation and harshly criticized the ED, saying that the agency was overstepping constitutional bounds by invading a state-owned enterprise and interfering with the federal system.

The agency also recently carried out searches in a case linked to S. Pandian, a former environment official accused in a corruption probe initiated by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

During those operations, large amounts of cash, gold, silver, diamonds, and property documents were seized, underscoring the scale of alleged irregularities being investigated.

With the raids on Minister Periyasamy now underway, political circles in Tamil Nadu are closely watching developments.

The ruling DMK has in the past accused central agencies of misusing their powers to target its leaders, while the Opposition has insisted that such investigations are necessary to expose corruption.