Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday conducted searches in Tamil Nadu as part of a money laundering investigation connected with alleged illegal sand mining in the state, official sources said.
Under the operation, searches are being held at the premises of Aadhav Arjun, son-in-law of 'lottery king' Santiago Martin, along with several others in Chennai and Coimbatore. Nearly 10 premises are being searched in relation to the alleged illegal sand mining case, which is being investigated by the ED under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Martin, popularly known as the 'lottery king', and his company, Future Gaming Solutions India Pvt. Ltd, were previously investigated by the ED in another money laundering case linked to the sale of lotteries of the Sikkim government. Martin is known to be close to the ruling DMK government and is under the scanner of multiple central investigative agencies.
The appointment of Aadhav Arjun as the deputy general secretary of the Dalit political outfit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) within days of joining the party has sparked speculation that he will be fielded in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He had joined VCK during the conference of the 'Vellum Sananayagam' in Trichy in January.
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