The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached additional properties worth Rs 1.26 crore belonging to Tamil Nadu Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to the alleged possession of disproportionate assets.
The ED issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach the immovable assets located in Thoothukudi, Madurai, and Chennai. The federal agency made the announcement in a statement on Thursday.
Radhakrishnan, 73, serves as a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA representing the Tiruchendur assembly constituency in Thoothukudi and holds the portfolio of fisheries and animal husbandry. This marks the second time the ED has targeted his assets. In 2022, the agency had attached properties worth approximately Rs 1 crore.
The money laundering case originates from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). The FIR accuses Radhakrishnan of “acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income in the name of his family members”.
The DVAC subsequently filed a charge sheet alleging that between 14 May 2001 and 31 March 2006, Radhakrishnan had acquired assets worth Rs 2.07 crore beyond his known sources of income.
The ED’s investigation revealed that Radhakrishnan and his family members are “still in possession and enjoyment” of these proceeds of crime. A portion of the illicit assets, the ED claimed, was laundered through various firms by layering, including cash deposits and loans obtained using the proceeds.
The investigation remains ongoing.
With inputs from PTI
