TIRUCHY: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials launched simultaneous raids in places across Tamil Nadu linked to minister KN Nehru, his brothers and his son MP KN Arun Nehru, early on Monday morning, in relation to a money laundering probe, sources said.
ED launched searches in at least 10 places linked to Nehru, including the houses of the Minister and his brother, KN Ramajayam in Tiruchy's Thillai Nagar. KN Ravichandran-owned realty firm TVH Builders also came under ED's scanner.
The searches are underway in Alwarpet, RA Puram and a few other places in Chennai with protection from CRPF. Manivannan's house in TVH constructed apartment in Coimbatore is also being searched.
Two separate ED teams, accompanied by personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), arrived at both houses and initiated the searches as part of an undisclosed investigation. Minister KN Nehru is reported to be in Chennai at the time of the raids.
Upon learning about the raids, a group of KN Nehru’s supporters gathered near his residence. However, they dispersed shortly after some senior DMK leaders requested them to vacate the area to maintain law and order.
Reacting to the development, leaders and supporters of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) strongly condemned the ED's actions. They alleged that the raids were politically motivated and orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to malign the image of the DMK government.
"Our minister has nothing to hide. The BJP is worried about the growing support for the DMK in Tamil Nadu. In an attempt to tarnish our government’s image, they are targeting our ministers through these raids," a DMK functionary present at the scene told reporters.
The ED has not so far issued an official statement regarding the purpose or findings of the ongoing searches.