Chennai: After a lull, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption on Wednesday booked senior AIADMK leader and former electricity minister P. Thangamani on the charges of investing a huge amount from the ill-gotten money of his family in crypto-assets, as well as amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Sleuths of the DVAC conducted raids on more than 60 premises owned by Thangamani, his family members and his relatives in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The searches were also held at Thangamani's residence and office in Chennai, Karur and Namakkal among others.
After the demise of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Thangamani played a significant role in former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami's cabinet in the last ten years of AIADMK rule, holding various portfolios including electricity. He was a troubleshooter before the 2021 state assembly elections in picking political parties and played a pivotal role in seat sharing talks with AIADMK allies.
Based on searches and seized documents, the DVAC has filed an FIR against Thangamani and his wife T. Santhi and son T. Dharanidharan in Namakkal district, located in the Western parts of Tamil Nadu.
The DVAC stated that Thangamani was booked because of amassing wealth during his tenure as electricity minister from 2016 to 2021.