Chennai, July 17 (IANS) Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday took Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi into custody.
The ED sleuths were conducting raids at his premises since morning related to amassing disproportionate wealth during 2006-2011 years when Ponmudi was a minister for mines and minerals.
ED has charged that the minister has been involved in sanctioning quarry licenses to his close associates and to others.
Ponmudi is the second minister in Stalin cabinet to be taken into custody by ED. Senthil Balaji was first to be taken in judicial custody.
Ponmudi is one of the senior most DMK leaders and raids and subsequent custody of the senior leader has come as a shock to the Dravidian party which is ruling Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
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