Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Rajya Sabha member R. Girirajan has lodged nine writ petitions in the Madras High Court, urging the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to launch money laundering investigations against various senior leaders of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The petitions specifically request the ED to initiate Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against former Tamil Nadu Ministers and other individuals.
The individuals targeted in the petitions include former Tamil Nadu Ministers S.P. Velumani, C. Vijayabaskar, M.R. Vijayabaskar, P. Thangamani, R. Kamaraj, K.P. Anbalagan, and K.C. Veeramani, along with former MLA ‘T. Nagar’ Sathya alias B. Sathyanarayanan and R. Elangovan, former President of the Salem District Central Cooperative Bank. Girirajan argues that these individuals are already facing corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988, as per the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC).
Girirajan contends that the corruption cases against these individuals qualify as “scheduled offences” under the PMLA, necessitating the ED to commence parallel money laundering investigations. He asserts that the alleged illicit gains from these corruption cases meet the definition of “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA, empowering the ED to register ECIRs, track the funds, seize tainted assets, and proceed with confiscation legally. The petitioner highlights that the DVAC has made all its FIRs public, indicating transparency in the cases against the AIADMK leaders.
The petitioner emphasizes a Supreme Court ruling from 2024 in Y. Balaji vs. Karthik Desai, which stressed the importance of initiating money laundering probes in cases involving public servants’ corruption. The court had clarified that illegal gratification constitutes “proceeds of crime” and constitutes money laundering. Girirajan insists that the ED must promptly register ECIRs based on this precedent and urges the High Court to direct the agency accordingly. The case is set for a hearing in the run-up to the April 23 Assembly elections.
