ED Completes Raids at TASMAC Headquarters in Chennai, Seizes Cash and Documents
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Synopsis
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has wrapped up extensive searches at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) headquarters and multiple locations linked to Minister V. Senthil Balaji, seizing cash and documents amid ongoing investigations into an alleged liquor purchase scam.
Key Takeaways
- ED concluded raids at TASMAC headquarters.
- Investigations linked to Minister V. Senthil Balaji.
- Over 25 locations searched in Tamil Nadu.
- Cash and crucial documents were seized.
- Scam involves alleged financial irregularities.
Chennai, March 9 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has wrapped up its extensive searches at the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) as well as at several locations associated with individuals close to Minister V. Senthil Balaji.
The operations, which initiated on Thursday, spanned across the state, including Chennai and Balaji's hometown of Karur, as part of an investigation into an alleged liquor purchase scam.
As per reports from TASMAC, the ED confiscated important documents and cash during the operation. These materials will be analyzed to decide the agency's subsequent course of action.
The ED executed searches at over 25 sites in Tamil Nadu, incorporating the residences of Balaji's close associates in Karur.
The raids were linked to suspected financial discrepancies within TASMAC, the state-run entity that monopolizes the liquor trade in Tamil Nadu.
Investigators scrutinized the TASMAC headquarters located in the Thalamuthu Natarajan Building, Egmore, as well as the offices of prominent liquor contractors in Chennai.
Sources confirmed that the raids also focused on liquor companies owned by DMK leader Jagathrakshakan.
Key locations targeted included the headquarters of SNJ Distilleries on Greams Road, Thousand Lights, the offices of Akkadu Distillers in T. Nagar, the residence of an MGM liquor contractor on Radha Krishnan Salai, and Shiva Distillery in Narasimhanaickenpalayam, Coimbatore. In addition, a team of 20 ED officials arrived in five vehicles to conduct searches at multiple locations in Karur, including the residence of Mani, owner of Kongu Mess, in Rayanur, the home of Sakthivel, owner of Sakthi Mess, in Gothai Nagar, Athur Branch Road, and the premises of MCS Sankar, a PWD contractor.
All three individuals are closely connected with Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji.
This recent action by the ED follows the arrest of Balaji on June 14, 2023, concerning a money laundering case tied to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his time as Transport Minister in the AIADMK government.
Following his arrest, Balaji switched allegiance to the DMK and was appointed Minister for Electricity and Prohibition.
On August 12, 2023, the ED submitted a 3,000-page charge sheet against Balaji, accusing him of exploiting his official position for financial benefit.
The agency claimed that he orchestrated the scam in collaboration with his brother, R. V. Ashok Kumar, personal aides, and officials from the Transport Department.
Despite his denials, investigations indicated that his aides, Shanmugam and Karthikeyan, were acting under his direct orders.
The ED also asserted that the scam involved laundering illicit funds via cash deposits and third-party associates to integrate them into the formal economy.
Balaji's bail requests were consistently denied by lower courts and the High Court. However, after spending over a year in custody, the Supreme Court of India granted him bail on September 26, 2024.
