ED Raids Former AIADMK Minister R. Vaithilingam’s Properties in Tamil Nadu
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted searches on Wednesday at various locations in Tamil Nadu linked to R. Vaithilingam, a former AIADMK minister and current MLA, as part of a money laundering investigation. This action follows a case registered by Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) against Vaithilingam and his family for allegedly accepting bribes from a real estate company in exchange for planning permission for a housing project.
The DVAC has accused Vaithilingam of abusing his position as the state’s Housing and Urban Development minister from 2011 to 2016 to acquire assets in his son’s name that do not match his declared income. According to the DVAC’s FIR, the real estate company allegedly paid Rs 27.9 crore in bribes to a shell company controlled by Vaithilingam’s family to secure approval for a residential complex.
Vaithilingam has served three terms as an AIADMK MLA from the Orathanadu constituency and held ministerial roles from 2001 to 2006. He managed the Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture portfolios from 2011 to 2016. He was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2016 to 2021 and was re-elected as an MLA for Orathanadu in the 2021 Assembly elections.
Doubts Revealed
ED -: ED stands for the Directorate of Enforcement. It is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
AIADMK -: AIADMK is a political party in Tamil Nadu, India. It stands for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
R. Vaithilingam -: R. Vaithilingam is a politician from Tamil Nadu. He has been a minister and is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).
Tamil Nadu -: Tamil Nadu is a state in the southern part of India. It is known for its rich culture and history.
Money laundering -: Money laundering is a process where people try to hide the illegal origin of their money. They make it look like it came from a legal source.
DVAC -: DVAC stands for Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. It is a department in Tamil Nadu that investigates corruption cases.
Bribes -: Bribes are illegal payments or gifts given to someone to influence their actions, often in a corrupt way.
Real estate company -: A real estate company deals with buying, selling, or managing properties like land and buildings.
MLA -: MLA stands for Member of the Legislative Assembly. It is a person elected by the people to represent them in the state’s legislative assembly.
