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Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summonses to former Tamil Nadu Health Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Pudukkottai district organisation secretary C. Vijayabaskar and his wife, V. Ramya, in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets and money laundering case involving Rs 35.79 crore. The central agency has directed Vijayabaskar to appear for questioning on Wednesday and asked his wife to appear on Thursday. Both are accused of accumulating wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income between 2016 and 2021, during Vijayabaskar’s tenure as the Minister for Health and Family Welfare in the former AIADMK government.
The fresh notices were delivered to Vijayabaskar’s residence in Chennai after the couple failed to appear before the agency on November 6, the date set by an earlier summons. Following their non-appearance, the investigating agency reissued the directives to proceed with the inquiry. During the upcoming sessions, ED officials are expected to question the couple regarding the origins of their wealth, specific financial transactions, and property records linked to the alleged unlawful accumulation of assets.
Assets Allegedly Surged From Rs 6.41 Crore to Rs 57.77 Crore in Five Years
The ongoing money laundering investigation stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on October 17, 2021. According to the DVAC case, the combined assets of Vijayabaskar and his wife witnessed an abnormal surge between April 2016 and March 2021. Investigators alleged that the couple’s total wealth rose from Rs 6.41 crore to Rs 57.77 crore during this five-year period.
In the initial phase of the state probe, the disproportionate assets were estimated at Rs 27.22 crore. However, when the chargesheet was filed in May 2023, the agency revised the figure upward to Rs 35.79 crore. Based on these findings of alleged financial irregularities, the ED is probing the money laundering angle. Judicial proceedings related to the allegations remain underway, making the ongoing verification of income sources and asset trails a critical part of the investigation.
Money Laundering Case Registered in 2021
Acting on the DVAC’s FIR, the Enforcement Directorate registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in 2021. As part of its probe, the agency conducted search operations at Vijayabaskar’s residence in Iluppur, located in Pudukkottai district, on March 21, 2024. The searches were aimed at scrutinizing financial records and property documents connected to the alleged disproportionate wealth.
According to ED sources, Vijayabaskar and his wife had previously complied with initial summonses issued in 2024, appearing before investigators to have their statements recorded. Through the latest summonses, the agency seeks to conduct further questioning to trace the exact methods used to acquire the properties and verify the underlying sources of funds.
Fourteen Educational Institutions Under Scanner
The investigation has also brought 14 educational institutions established under the Mother Teresa Educational and Charitable Trust in Iluppur under close scrutiny. In its original FIR, the DVAC raised suspicions that funds acquired through alleged illicit means may have been used to establish and operate these institutions.
Investigating agencies are currently examining the financial transactions, investments, and funding sources tied to these educational bodies. Officials are working to determine whether the expenditures and investments routed through the trust are directly linked to the alleged Rs 35.79 crore disproportionate assets case. Meanwhile, the ED’s renewed action has sparked fresh political discussion in Tamil Nadu, given Vijayabaskar’s past ministerial role in the AIADMK and his current organizational position within the TVK. For now, the agency remains focused on tracing the money trail and establishing the role of the associated trusts and institutions.
