Tamil Nadu: ED searches realtor, ex-min over money laundering
CHENNAI: A day after AIADMK and DMK formalised their alliances and announced their candidates for the poll, a Chennai-based real estate group and former minister C Vijayabaskar came under the scanner of the ED as searches were carried out in 25 locations as part of separate money laundering investigations.
After I-T searches on G-Square last year, this is the first time ED searches were carried out against the real estate firm. Details are not available on the nature of searches.
A G-Square official said the searches were a routine affair. “It is happening in a couple of offices in Chennai and in one or two places, it is already over,” he said.
In April last, I-T department carried out searches on 50 locations related to real estate firm G Square Realtors Private Limited in Tamil Nadu, Telengana and Karnataka after BJP president K Annamalai released ‘DMK files’ detailing the properties allegedly owned by members of the ruling DMK. He had accused G Square of being owned by the DMK’s first family, and alleged it had amassed wealth via corruption.
Meanwhile, searches against Vijayabaskar are based on a DVAC investigation of 2022 linked to an alleged case of possession of disproportionate assets.