Chennai, Nov 14 (IANS): Officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are conducting raids at the residences of Santiago Martin, popularly known as the 'Lottery King', and his son-in-law Aadhav Arjuna.
The raids are taking place in Coimbatore and Chennai, respectively. Aadhav Arjuna currently serves as the Deputy General Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a prominent Dalit political party in Tamil Nadu.
A former national-level basketball player, Arjuna recently joined the VCK. He stirred a controversy by openly criticising the DMK and its first family, even though VCK is part of the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu.
Arjuna has also called for the representation of allies in the DMK government.
It may be noted that Martin’s family has a notable political presence. His wife, Leema Rose, joined the Indhiya Jananayaka Katchi, an ally of the BJP, while his son, Charles Jose, is a BJP member.
Arjuna, his son-in-law, holds a prominent position in the VCK.
Santiago Martin has been under scrutiny by multiple Central agencies, including the ED, CBI, and Income Tax Department.
His company, Future Gaming and Hotel Services, has contributed Rs 1,368 crore in electoral bonds, making it one of the largest donors to political parties, according to data from the Election Commission.
The BJP and DMK were primary beneficiaries, with 77 per cent of the DMK’s total donations attributed to Martin’s contributions.
In March 2022, the ED attached Rs 411 crore from the bank accounts of Martin’s firm and other associated companies.
A prosecution complaint was subsequently filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002.
The AIADMK government, under then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, banned lotteries in Tamil Nadu in 2003, arguing that they were detrimental to the poor.
As a result, Martin had to shift his lottery operations outside his home state. During the AIADMK regime in 2011, Martin faced land-grabbing charges and spent eight months in jail in Vellore. Several cases against him are still pending.