DMK MP seeks ED action against 7 AIADMK ex-ministers, leaders | Chennai News

Chennai: DMK’s Rajya Sabha MP, R Girirajan, an advocate, has filed a batch of seven cases in Madras high court seeking direction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to register enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on pending cases against seven former AIADMK ministers, including S P Velumani, and conduct a thorough probe into the proceeds of crime laundered by them.Apart from the former ministers, R Girirajan has also moved a similar plea against former T Nagar MLA B Sathyanarayanan and R Elangovan, former president of Salem District Central Co-operative Bank and the chairman of Tamil Nadu State Apex Co-operative Bank.According to the petitioner, there are four FIRs registered by the DVAC against Velumani in connection with various alleged irregularities during his tenure as the municipal administration minister, including alleged corruption in floating tenders of Chennai and Coimbatore corporations.“Once the investigating agency finds the corruption involved after the due preliminary enquiry, registers the FIR, or after the investigation files a final report disclosing the bribe money, it would automatically constitute proceeds of crime within the meaning of Sec 2 (1) (U) of the PMLA,” the petitioner said. In view of the binding decision of the Supreme Court in Y Balaji Vs V Karthik Desai and others case, passed in 2024, it is the duty of the ED to register the information report. In the case on hand, registration of the case, progress of investigation, and filing of final report are not secret documents but are available in the public domain. Hence, the ED ought to have registered ECIR, he said.The petitioner added that failure on the part of the ED to do so on political consideration will certainly confirm the jurisdiction of the high court to pass or issue appropriate direction to register ECIR and proceed in accordance with law. The petition is likely to be taken up for hearing by the first bench headed by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari next week. The other former ministers against whom the petitions are filed include C Vijaya Baskar, R Kamaraj, K C Veeramani, P Thangamani, K P Anbalagan, and M R Vijaya Baskar.