ED raids DMK minister’s premises in PMLA case

Chennai: The Directorate of Enforcement on Monday conducted raids in multiple locations in Tamil Nadu linked to Tamil Nadu minister KN Nehru and his son and Lok Sabha MP Arun Nehru, said DMK MP and senior advocate NR Elango.

The searches covered locations in Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and Coimbatore with ED officials being provided security by central security forces.

“According to the details provided by an ED officer during the inspection, the CBI registered a case in 2021 of an alleged bank fraud from 2013 of ₹22 crore by TRUEDOM EPC India Private Limited in which KN Ravichandran, one of Nehru’s brothers, is a director,” said DMK MP and senior advocate NR Elango.

“The Enforcement Directorate has taken this investigative step after about four or five years and almost 12 years from the date the crime was allegedly committed,” Elango told reporters on Monday.

He cited a list of issues in which the DMK-led Tamil Nadu has been in confrontation against the BJP-led Union government. It included the bill to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test was rejected by the Indian government, the state driving southern states’ opposition to delimitation exercise based on population, the state government moving the Supreme Court against the Wakf (Amendment) Act and refusal to implement the three language formula under the National Education Policy, 2020.

“...without a proper response, and unable to counter the legitimate demands raised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Hon’ble chief minister of Tamil Nadu according to the Constitution, outdated investigations are being carried out against the leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its ministers,” Elango said. “The people of Tamil Nadu understand this very well…Whenever we raise our voice for the minorities, they (Union government) try to accuse us of corruption.”

Reacting to ED searches, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy hit out at the BJP-led Centre and alleged that the “Enforcement Directorate is an ally of the BJP”, just like the parties of Chandrababu Naidu (TDP) and Nitish Kumar (JDU).”We regard the ED as their (BJP) ally and nothing more,” he told reporters here, adding the agency is a “non-political partner”.

The ED did not release a statement on the searches.

With inputs from PTI