CHENNAI: Enforcement Directorate officials, accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, conducted searches at multiple places linked to electricity minister V Senthil Balaji, including his office in the state secretariat and his official residence in Chennai, in a suspected money laundering case on Tuesday.
The sleuths entered the secretariat a few minutes after Chief Minister MK Stalin left the premises and the searches were going on till late evening. The ED action evoked sharp reactions from opposition parties across the country, with Stalin calling it a blot on federalism.
“The backdoor tactics of BJP against its political opponents will not yield desired results,” the CM said. While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called it as a blatant misuse of the ED, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee dubbed it as BJP’s desperate act.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the ED has now ventured into southern states with a sinister motive to crush the voices against undemocratic centre. Thanking the leaders, Stalin tweeted, “We are unfazed, undeterred, and will remain committed in our opposition to BJP’s undemocratic raids.”
DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi said the ED has violated protocol by not obtaining Chief Secretary’s nod before entering the secretariat. According to sources, ED is investigating a job scam against Balaji during his stint as transport minister in the AIADMK government led by J Jayalalithaa in 2011-15.
Last search at TN Secretariat happened in Dec 2016
The Karur strongman, who later joined DMK and is now the electricity and excise minister in the Stalin-led cabinet, told reporters that he was taking his morning walk when he got the news and took a taxi back home. Properties linked to Balaji in Karur, Erode and Coimbatore were also being searched by the ED.
Last month, Income Tax officials searched several places linked to the minister and his brother in the same case. After allegations were raised about I-T officials coming under attack during searches at the minister’s properties last month, four CRPF personnel provided security to the five-member ED team carrying out searches at the secretariat.
Immediately after CRPF personnel entered the premises, Director General of Police Sylendra Babu was spotted on the campus along with Inspector General of Police West Zone R Sudhakar and another police official. The CRPF personnel left the place after some time. Several intelligence services personnel in plainclothes were also seen near the minister’s office at the secretariat.
There was also chaos when a few ED officials wanted to leave the crowded premises after carrying out searches for more than three hours. Soon, policemen in mufti escorted the officials out to their waiting vehicle. In December 2016, central probe agency sleuths had searched then chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao’s chambers at the secretariat days after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Searches against the minister began last month after the Supreme Court allowed police and ED to investigate cash-for-jobs scam allegations against Balaji during his stint as transport minister in 2011-15.
As per complaints, Balaji had allegedly received money as bribe for appointing drivers and conductors in state transport corporations. The ED search has come just days after a controversy broke out over a power cut near Chennai airport during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
‘Will give full cooperation’
Responding to the search, Balaji on Tuesday said he was “ready to extend full cooperation” to the investigating agency.