Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmudi summoned again by ED after eight hours of grilling

Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudi was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate for eight hours and has been summoned again.

Chennai: After eight hours of interrogation in connection with a money laundering case, Higher Education Minister of Tamil Nadu K Ponmudi left the Enforcement Directorate office on Tuesday. The Enforcement Directorate has again summoned the minister to its office at 4 pm again. DMK spokesperson Saravanan called the eight-hour-long interrogation an ‘utter violation of human rights’. "It is a 2007 case and they are saying that if he is not interrogated today evidence will be lost. He is a 72-year-old man. He is already under medication," he said. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the raid and termed it “diversionary tactics."

The ED on Monday conducted searches at Ponmudi's residences, officials said. According to the local police, the ED carried out searches at Ponmudi's homes in Chennai and Viluppuram. The ED declared that they recovered Rs 80 lakhs, including Rs 10 lakhs in foreign currencies of America and Britain, and Rs 70 lakhs in Indian currency from the premises belonging to Minister Ponmudi. Furthermore, it has been reported that the minister did not adequately explain the question raised by the ED about the money. Following this, it has been reported that the Enforcement Directorate seized the amount as unaccounted.