Tamil Nadu: ED Files Plea In Thoothukudi Court To Assist DVAC In Disproportionate Assets Case Against Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Special Public Prosecutor N Ramesh has filed a plea before a local court in Thoothukudi seeking permission to assist the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) in a disproportionate assets case against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister Anitha Radhakrishnan.

The ED plea says it has collected crucial evidence against the minister. The DVAC has reportedly objected to the plea.

Radhakrishnan is the minister for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry.

In December 2022, a Division bench of the Madras High Court passed an interim stay barring the ED from probing a case booked against Radhakrishnan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He had sought a direction from the court to quash the case booked against him and the attachment of his properties by the ED stating that the offences mentioned in the DVAC FIR were not under the PMLA in 2006, i.e., the year when the case was filed.

Earlier that year, i.e., in February 2022, the ED had attached properties worth Rs 6.5 crore.

"During the investigation, ED provisionally attached 18 immovable properties [including 160 acres of land and residential properties] worth Rs 1 crore [purchase value] acquired by Anitha R Radhakrishnan during the period May 14, 2001 to March 31, 2006 in the names of his family members. The guideline value of the attached properties is around Rs 6.5 crore," said the statement released by the ED.

Ironically the case against Radhakrishnan was filed by the DMK government in 2006. Radhakrishnan was then in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He had served as minister for more than four-and-a-half years during the previous AIADMK reign.

Radhakrishnan switched allegiance to the ruling DMK in 2009. He resigned his assembly seat and was re-elected contesting as a DMK candidate in the ensuing byelection. He won again as a DMK candidate in the 2011 Assembly elections. However, the DMK was swept out of power in the state.

Radhakrishnan made several attempts to rejoin AIADMK. He repeatedly praised late chief minister and party supremo J Jayalalitha for which he invited the ire of the DMK leadership. He was even suspended from the DMK in 2015.

However due to resistance of local party cadres in the district, Radhakrishnan's attempt to rejoin AIADMK never materialised. He later made peace with the DMK high command and his suspension was lifted.