Saturday, June 17, 2023

Now Senthil Balaji's brother under ED, Income Tax scanner; Summons issued to Ashok


CHENNAI:
The Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate have issued summons to R V Ashok Kumar, the brother of Tamil Nady Minister Senthil Balaji in a tax evasion case as well as in the cash-for-jobs linked money laundering case.

This comes after both the central agencies conducted searches in the state. Income Tax department conducted searches on properties related to the family members of Balaji at various places in Chennai, Karur, Coimbatore, and Erode in Tamil Nadu last month while Enforcement directorate conducted the searches on Tuesday. Both Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at the office of the minister’s brother V Ashok.

Ashok's name surfaces in the three First Information Reports (FIRs) along with Balaji and his personal assistant Shanmugam and others for taking cash in exchange for providing jobs in the Transport department during the period between 2011 and 2015, when Senthil Balaji was the Transport minister in the AIADMK regime.

Sources said that summons have been issued multiple times to him his personal appearance by the Income Tax department. But he has yet to appear.

Now, Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Ashok, his personal assistant B Shanmugam and others for questioning next week in the cash-for-jobs case for which the minister has been remanded to judicial custody.
 
The two, along with some other accused and a woman who is suspected to be linked to an alleged 'benami' land deal related to the minister have been summoned. They have been called for recording their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Both the agencies are probing the acquisition of a property with a value exceeding Rs 25 crore for a mere Rs 10.88 lakh. The Enforcement Directorate claims that a benami individual was used to create a facade and distance from the true owner of the property. Sources said ED has asked them to depose before the agency at its office here on different dates next week.


ED has said that said that three First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against Balaji, his brother Ashok Kumar, his personal assistant Shanmugam, and others for taking cash in exchange for providing jobs in the Transport department during the period between 2011 and 2015, when he was the Transport minister in the AIADMK regime.

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