CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed petitions filed by Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy and his family challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) investigation into alleged money laundering and the notices the agency issued in connection with provisional attachment of some of their properties.
The division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan noted that the attachment proceedings are presently before the Adjudicating Authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and directed the petitioners to raise their objections there. The bench said they were at liberty to approach the court later if aggrieved by any final order by the authority.
The notices arise out of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED based on an earlier case filed by the DVAC, alleging that Periyasamy amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of Rs 2.35 crore during his tenure as housing minister between 2006 and 2011. His wife Suseela and sons Senthilkumar and Prabhu were also named as accused.
Though a Dindigul court had discharged the accused, the Madras HC set aside the order on April 28. An appeal against that decision is pending before the Supreme Court.
The ED, based on the money-laundering probe initiated through the ECIR, carried out searches in August at premises linked to Periyasamy and his family, seizing documents, electronic devices and financial records, before issuing the impugned notices.