ED raids nine places linked to TN Minister Ponmudi

Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday was carrying out raids at nine places associated with the Tamil Nadu higher education Minister, K. Ponmudi.

Sources in DMK told IANS that the raids were conducted at the residence of Dr. Goutam Shikamani, son of the higher education minister and other premises.

Ponmudi is the second minister after the arrest and judicial custody of Senthil Balaji to come under the scrutiny.

Ponmudi and his wife P. Visalakshi were earlier acquitted by the Principal District Judge, Vellore in June 2023 in a case filed by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in 2011.

The DVAC had filed a case that the minister and his wife had amassed 1.36 crore of wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income when he was a minister for mines and minerals in the DMK government between 2006 and 2011.