The ED has summoned ex-Tamil Nadu minister C Vijayabaskar and his wife in the ₹35.79 crore case.
The allegations stem from a DVAC case over assets allegedly accumulated beyond Vijayabaskar's known income.
The agency had searched his Pudukkottai residence in March 2024 and recorded the couple's statements.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader C Vijayabaskar and his wife, V Ramya, in an alleged money laundering case linked to disproportionate assets worth ₹ 35.79 crore.
According to ANI, the couple has been asked to appear before the ED's Chennai zonal office on November 6. Ramya has also reportedly been summoned for questioning next week. This is the second round of summons issued to the couple in the case.
The allegations relate to Vijayabaskar's tenure as Tamil Nadu's Health and Family Welfare Minister in the AIADMK government between 2016 and 2021. Investigators allege that he accumulated assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during this period.
Case Origins
The probe originated from a disproportionate assets case registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in 2021.
In a charge sheet filed in May 2023, the DVAC alleged that Vijayabaskar had accumulated assets worth ₹35.79 crore beyond his known sources of income, according to media reports.
Following the state agency's investigation, the ED registered a parallel case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the alleged proceeds of crime and related financial transactions.
Earlier ED Action
The ED had searched Vijayabaskar's residence in Tamil Nadu's Pudukkottai district in March 2024 as part of its money laundering investigation.
The agency had also summoned Vijayabaskar and Ramya in 2024, following which their statements were recorded.
The fresh notices mark a second round of questioning as the agency continues its investigation into the alleged accumulation of assets and the financial transactions linked to the case.
Political Background
Vijayabaskar served as Tamil Nadu's Health and Family Welfare Minister under the AIADMK government from 2016 to 2021, the period to which the allegations relate.
He is currently the TVK's Pudukkottai district organisational secretary. Vijayabaskar joined the Joseph Vijay-led party in July this year, along with former AIADMK minister MR Vijayabhaskar and several other leaders.
