In a significant development in an ongoing money laundering investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed that a sprawling 2.49-acre property, valued at over Rs 30 crore, has been frozen. The land is associated with the sister-in-law of Tamil Nadu's Minister, V Senthil Balaji. The ED's probe unearthed this property located in Karur, which has now been placed under a freeze order in accordance with Section 17(1A) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED issued a statement detailing that the land, situated on Salem bypass road in Karur district, was originally "acquired" by P Lakshmi, who is the mother-in-law of Senthil Balaji's brother, RV Ashok Balaji. Subsequently, it was "gifted" by Lakshmi to her daughter, Nirmala, who is married to Ashok Balaji.
Startlingly, investigations conducted by the ED exposed a stark discrepancy in the land acquisition. The land, spanning 2.49 acres, was reportedly acquired by P Lakshmi from Anuradha Ramesh for a mere Rs 10 lakh, despite its true market value being well over Rs 30 crore. This transaction raised suspicions about the legitimacy of the funds used for the purchase.
"Scrutiny of P Lakshmi's income sources revealed significant inconsistencies, undermining her claim of selling old jewelry to raise Rs 10 lakh for the land purchase," the ED asserted.
Further investigations exposed that the remaining funds required for the land acquisition were exchanged in cash. The cash payment was subsequently utilized by Anuradha Ramesh to acquire another parcel of land in the same vicinity, deepening the complexity of the case.
Despite being issued multiple summons, Ashok Balaji, Nirmala, and P Lakshmi have yet to cooperate and appear before investigators, highlighting a lack of compliance with the ongoing investigation.
Minister V Senthil Balaji, aged 47, is currently incarcerated in Puzhal jail. Despite his imprisonment, he remains a minister without portfolio in the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister M K Stalin. The ED arrested Senthil Balaji on June 14 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam during his tenure as the transport minister in the previous AIADMK regime.
Senthil Balaji remains in ED custody until August 12, based on a sessions court order. Earlier, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions filed by Senthil Balaji and his wife, challenging a Madras High Court order upholding his arrest.
The ED's allegations against Balaji include "misuse" of his office for illicit gains and orchestrating a job racket scam in the state's transport undertakings between 2014 and 2015. Purported kickbacks were allegedly channeled through his associates, including Ashok Balaji and his personal assistants B Shanmugam and M Karthikeyan.
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