On the day when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is set to participate in the opposition gathering at Bengaluru, the ED has taken action against his minister. He is the second TN minister to face ED action after Senthil Balaji.
The Enforcement Directorate is carrying out raids at premises linked to Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and his son and MP Gautham Sigamani. The ED raids are happening at nine places, including the minister's house in Chennai. Also being checked are the minister's house and the Surya Engineering College both in Viluppuram district. The ED action comes on a day when Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is scheduled to attend the opposition meeting at Bengaluru. Ponmudi was recently acquitted of two corruption charges.
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Following V Senthil Balaji's ED raid and arrest related to the cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as Transport Minister under the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime, Ponmudy has become the second minister to face scrutiny from the ED.
Earlier this month, Ponmudy was acquitted in a land-grabbing case filed against him and six others by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). The case alleged that he unlawfully acquired government land in Chennai's Saidapet during his tenure as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister between 1996 and 2001.
In 2020, Ponmudy's son, Gautham Sigamani, also came under the ED's investigation, resulting in the seizure of properties worth Rs 8.6 crore. Gautham, who is an MP representing the Kallakurichi constituency, faced accusations of illegal acquisition and failure to repatriate foreign exchange earned abroad. The attached assets included agricultural lands, commercial and residential buildings in Tamil Nadu, as well as bank accounts and shares.