Synopsis
DMK MP Kathir Anand appeared before the ED in Chennai following raids at his engineering college. The investigations stem from a previous income tax case involving allegations of cash-for-votes during the 2019 elections, leading to the cancellation of his election.Key Takeaways
- Kathir Anand was interrogated by the ED in Chennai.
- The raids were connected to previous allegations of cash-for-votes.
- Unaccounted cash and documents were seized during the searches.
- The DMK criticizes the ED's actions as political vendetta.
- This is part of a pattern of investigations targeting Opposition leaders.
Chennai, Jan 22 (NationPress) DMK leader and Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency, Kathir Anand, was questioned by officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday at the agency's office located on Greams Road, Chennai.
Kathir Anand, the son of DMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Development, S. Duraimurugan, was called in following extensive raids conducted earlier this month at various sites, including his private institution, Kengston Engineering College in Vellore.
On January 3, 2025, the ED executed searches over 44 hours, involving more than 15 officials who arrived in eight vehicles.
The investigations included a review of CCTV footage, financial documents, and other relevant materials.
Locations targeted included the college, residences of Kathir Anand and S. Duraimurugan, as well as properties associated with their acquaintances in Katpadi and Vellore.
According to sources, the ED confiscated unreported cash, documents pertinent to the college's financial dealings, and a hard disk.
College officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, asserted that the confiscated funds were earmarked for employee salaries and Pongal festival bonuses, derived from student fee collections.
The ED's operations are believed to be linked to a 2019 Income Tax investigation against Kathir Anand, focusing on allegations of cash-for-votes during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
During that election, ₹11 crore was seized from Anand's associates, resulting in the annulment of the election in the Vellore constituency.
In 2019, former President Ram Nath Kovind, following the recommendation of the Election Commission, canceled the Lok Sabha election in Vellore just two days prior to its date, citing the recovery of unaccounted cash.
The election, initially set for April 18, was later conducted on August 5, 2019, where Kathir Anand, representing the DMK, narrowly triumphed over A.C. Shanmugham of the AIADMK by a margin of 8,141 votes.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, Anand emerged victorious with a substantial lead, defeating Shanmugham, who had switched to the BJP, by a significant margin of 2,15,702 votes.
The DMK has condemned the ED's actions as a form of political vendetta.
The party claims that these raids are part of a wider scheme to target leaders of the Opposition.
This marks not the first occasion of ED raids aimed at DMK leaders.
Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy and his son, Gautham Sigamani, were previously scrutinized in a money laundering investigation.
Political analysts express that the escalation of ED raids ahead of the forthcoming elections raises alarms about the targeting of Opposition figures.
