Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, July 17. The raids began at 7 am and are being conducted at his residence in Villupuram. His daughter’s house is also being raided by the ED. Paramilitary forces have been deployed as the raids were being conducted by a team of seven ED officers.
The reason behind the raids are not known yet. The ED raids come close to a month after Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji was raided and arrested by the ED in connection with the cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as the Transport Minister during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rule.
Earlier this month, Ponmudi was acquitted in the land grabbing case registered against him and six others by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). He was accused of illegally acquiring government land in Chennai’s Saidapet during his tenure as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister between 1996 and 2001.
In 2020, Ponmudi’s son Gautham Sigamani came under the ED scanner after the investigating agency attached property worth Rs 8.6 crore belonging to him. He was accused of illegal acquisition and non-repatriation of foreign exchange earned abroad. Agricultural lands, commercial and residential buildings in Tamil Nadu and bank accounts and shares worth Rs 8.6 crore were held by Gautham, who is also an MP, representing Kallakurichi constituency.