ED attaches 45-acre land of DMK Minister A Raja

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), as per its statement, has provisionally attached 45 acres of land in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu held in the name of a benami company of DMK Minister A Raja, who handled the portfolio of Union minister of environment and forest during 2004-2007.

During the course of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) investigation, ED found that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister A Raja during his tenure as minister of environment and forests had granted environmental clearances to a real estate company, based out of Gurugram, according to a statement from ED released on late Thursday.

Further, during the course of PMLA investigation, ED has found that the real estate company has given kickback to A Raja for awarding the green nod, around the same period in the year 2007, in the garb of land commission income in the hands of one benami company of A Raja.

According to the statement, it was found that A Raja incorporated the company in the year 2007 in the name of his family members and his close family friend, with the sole objective of using it as a vehicle to park the proceeds of crime. The said company was never engaged in any business activity since inception and the entire money received in the company was quid pro quo from the real estate deal and was used for acquiring land in Coimbatore district, the agency said in the statement.

The agency said 45 acres of land in Coimbatore worth Rs.55 crore purchased directly using the proceeds of the crime has been provisionally attached by ED. Further investigation in the case is under progress, it said.

( With inputs from ANI )