- Chennai Police filed a complaint after ED team entered an MLA hostel in the city
- ED conducted simultaneous raids at properties linked to Minister Periyasamy and his family
- Raids relate to a money laundering and disproportionate assets case against the family
The Chennai Police registered a Community Service Register (CSR) complaint against "unknown persons" after an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team reportedly entered an MLA hostel in the city.
The ED officers, identified later, were in Chennai as part of ongoing searches at properties linked to Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy and his son and Palani MLA IP Senthil Kumar. The Minister's son has an apartment in the hostel complex.
The ED searches were carried out simultaneously at three locations, including the Minister's residence in Dindigul, the home of his MLA son in Palani, and the residence of his daughter Indirani in Dindigul's Sivaji Nagar. Teams, accompanied by central paramilitary forces, cordoned off the areas from early morning, conducting intensive searches for several hours.
Sources said the raids are connected to a money laundering and disproportionate assets case in which Mr Periyasamy and his family have already come under the scanner of central agencies. The family has challenged the case in court, with a crucial hearing scheduled before the Supreme Court on August 18.
The raids triggered widespread political tension in Dindigul district, where scores of DMK workers gathered outside the Minister's residence, shouting slogans and staging a sit-in protest. Police and central forces were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents.
Searches were also carried out at mills allegedly linked to the Minister's relatives near Batalagundu. The simultaneous raids at multiple family-owned premises, coupled with protests by DMK cadres, kept the district on edge throughout the day.
While ED officials maintained silence on the outcome of the searches, the ruling DMK slammed this as politically motivated ahead of Assembly elections in 2026. DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah told NDTV, "If the ED is neutral, it should raid the house of BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran, against whom there is a Rs 4 crore seizure case filed. This is a nearly two-decades-old case and their motive is clear. We will fight it legally and will not be stuck in the BJP's washing machine ".
