Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Sep 18: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out extensive searches across Chennai and Hyderabad as part of a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged Rs 200 crore bank fraud and suspected benami property transactions associated with V.K. Sasikala, the close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
According to officials, the coordinated raids spanned at least ten locations across the two cities. The searched premises are reportedly tied to a Chennai-based businessman believed to be an alleged benami holder acting on behalf of Sasikala.
The ED’s action follows a case registered earlier by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had filed an FIR over large-scale fraudulent transactions involving several crores of rupees routed through banks. Based on that FIR, the ED launched its own probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to trace the illicit money trail and expose assets suspected of being acquired through criminal proceeds.
Sources confirmed that officials seized a range of materials during the searches, including financial records, property documents, transaction data, and electronic devices. These are expected to be examined to determine the extent of the alleged laundering and the potential use of front companies or individuals to conceal assets.
Though the full scale of the seizures is still being assessed, officials hinted that the evidence collected could help piece together a broader network of financial operations involving shell entities and proxies.
The operation has once again thrust V.K. Sasikala into the spotlight. Once a powerful figure in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, she has long been under scrutiny for her wealth accumulation and was previously convicted in a disproportionate assets case. Though she completed her prison sentence in 2021, allegations surrounding her financial dealings have continued to attract the attention of investigative agencies.
This fresh round of ED action signals renewed interest in re-examining Sasikala’s financial web, especially through her known associates and suspected benamis. Officials indicated that based on the findings of these searches, the agency may initiate provisional attachment of properties under PMLA and consider further legal action.
The raids have also sparked political chatter, with observers noting the timing and scale of the operation — potentially part of a wider crackdown on high-profile economic offenders in Tamil Nadu. Investigators are expected to widen the scope of the probe as more evidence surfaces.