TN minister, sons appear in court in illegal red sand quarrying case

Chennai, March 19 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K. Ponmudy and his two sons — Gautham Sigamani, a Lok Sabha MP from Kallakurichi, and Ashok Sigamani, president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association– appeared before a special court on Wednesday in connection with an illegal red sand quarrying case.

The trio, listed as accused in the case, appeared before the Additional Special Judge for CBI cases, S. Ezhil Velavan.

During the proceedings, Ponmudy filed a petition under Section 205 of the CrPC, requesting an exemption from further personal appearances in court, citing his responsibilities as a minister and deputy general secretary of the DMK.

The judge directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit a response to the petition, with Special Public Prosecutor N. Ramesh taking notice on behalf of the ED.

The case dates back to 2012 when the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) registered a complaint against Ponmudy, accusing him of facilitating illegal red sand quarrying in Villupuram. The allegations state that between February 13, 2007, and May 15, 2007, while serving as Minister for Mines and Minerals, Ponmudy helped his son, family members, and close associates exploit red sand quarries without proper authorization. This allegedly caused a loss of Rs 28.36 crore to the Tamil Nadu state exchequer.

In 2023, the ED registered a money laundering case against Ponmudy, Gautham Sigamani, and four others based on the original DVAC FIR.

As part of its investigation, the ED conducted raids at multiple locations linked to Ponmudy, including properties in Chennai and Villupuram, as well as educational institutions run by his family.

Ponmudy was later summoned and interrogated at the ED office in Chennai. Following the raids and questioning, Ponmudy and Gautham Sigamani appeared before ED officials at the Joint Director’s Office in Nungambakkam, Chennai.

The agency grilled them for two consecutive days, during which they were handed written questionnaires and their responses were recorded.

The ED subsequently filed a 90-page charge sheet, detailing how Ponmudy allegedly misused his position between 2007 and 2009 to allocate red sand quarries to his son and relatives without paying the required seigniorage fee.

The agency maintains that this led to significant financial losses for the state. Additionally, in 2020, the ED attached properties worth Rs 8.6 crore belonging to Gautham Sigamani, linking them to illegal financial activities, including non-repatriation of foreign exchange earnings. The agency also found evidence suggesting that the DMK MP invested Rs 7.5 lakh in the UAE and Rs 41 lakh in a company based in Indonesia.

As the case progresses, the court awaits the ED’s response to Ponmudy’s petition seeking exemption from personal appearances, while the investigation into the alleged illegal quarrying and financial misconduct continues.

–IANS

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