SC seeks ED’s reply on Hemant Soren’s plea against his arrest
The former Jharkhand CM had approached the SC on May 6 against Jharkhand HC order dismissing his plea challenging his arrest by the ED in the alleged money laundering case.
In a significant move ahead of the Assembly elections, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday carried out raids on senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy in Chennai, Madurai, and Dindigul.
The searches were conducted at multiple locations linked to the Minister and his son, legislator IP Senthilkumar, in connection with alleged money laundering. CRPF personnel were deployed to provide security during the raids.
Advertisement
The ED also searched Periyasamy’s official residence on Greenways Road in Chennai and his room in the MLAs’ quarters.
Advertisement
As news of the raids spread, DMK workers and functionaries gathered outside his residences in Chennai and Dindigul, shouting slogans against the Modi government and accusing it of political vendetta.
The ED’s action comes in connection with a Vigilance case. The Madras High Court recently directed a Special Court in Dindigul to frame charges against Periyasamy and his family in a ₹2.1 crore disproportionate assets case.
The directive followed a petition filed by the Vigilance challenging the earlier order of the Special Court that had discharged Periyasamy and his family members.
The High Court further ordered that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis and completed within six months.
According to the Vigilance case, Periyasamy allegedly amassed assets worth ₹2.1 crore in the names of his wife P Suseela, sons Senthilkumar and Prabhu, and daughter Indira, disproportionate to his known sources of income during his tenure as Housing Minister between 2006 and 2010.
Advertisement
