Officials of the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches at the residence of Minister V. Senthilbalaji, who has been jailed in connection with a money-laundering case.
The searches on the premises at Rameswarapatti on the outskirts of Karur, where Mr. Senthilbalaj’s father Velusamy and mother Rukmani live, began around 8 a.m. and concluded around 4 p.m.
The team reportedly questioned the Minister’s parents on the whereabouts of his brother, Ashok Kumar, who has been absconding for more than seven months. The officials also checked CCTV footage to ascertain whether he had visited the house recently.
According to sources, no outsiders were allowed to enter the residence during the operation. The officials did not seek protection from the district police authorities.
The residence of Mr. Senthilbalaji in his native village was searched for the second time since the ED registered a case against him.
The house was first searched on June 13, 2023, a day before the arrest of Mr. Senthilbalaji, who continues to be a Minister without portfolio in the DMK Ministry.
Mr. Kumar is the second accused in the ‘cash for jobs’ case.
