ED attaches assets in mining-linked PMLA case against TN minister Ponmudy, son

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 14 crore in a money laundering case against Tamil Nadu minister and DMK leader K Ponmudy, his ex-MP son P Gautham Sigamani, and family members.

The central agency had raided the premises of 73-year-old Minister for Higher Education and his son in Chennai and Villupuram in July last year as part of the investigation.

The money laundering case related to alleged illegal red earth mining stems from a state police FIR.

The case was registered in 2012, against Ponmudy, his son Gautham Sigamani and other relatives for causing a loss of Rs 28.36 crore to the state exchequer through excessive mining of red sand without paying a seigniorage fee.

The case was registered for illegally licensing five red sand quarries to his son Sigamani, during his stint as minister for mines between 2006 and 2011.

Earlier in 2020, the ED had conducted searches in the properties linked to Sigamani and had attached properties worth Rs.8.6 crore, allegedly linked to illegal acquisition and non-repatriation of foreign exchange earnings from overseas. Sigamani had allegedly invested Rs.7.5 lakh in UAE, Rs.41 lakh in a company in Indonesia which, according to ED, had been sold for Rs. 100 crore at a later period.

A few weeks ago, a special court in Chennai had dismissed a petition filed by Gautham seeking to stay the proceedings. The proceedings are pending before the special court for cases against MP/MLAs and the principal district sessions court in Villupuram. The court also refused to quash the case as sought by Gautham.