Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday launched simultaneous searches in more than 10 places linked to two real estate firms in Chennai, just a week after the state’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing registered an FIR on charges of bribing MPs, MLAs and government officials to the tune of Rs 50 crore and searched them.
At least four ED officers reached the houses of T Udayakumar of Landmark Housing Projects Ltd in T Nagar, Sunil Khetpalia in Nungambakkam and Maneesh Parmar in Vepery, both directors of KLP Projects, and a few other places in North Chennai. While the searches continued till evening, ED sleuths did not engage any central paramilitary forces for security.
Sources said the ED had taken up the DVAC case of bribing govt officials and MPs, MLAs and others others to the tune of Rs 50 crore for investigation. Searches were conducted to detect evidences of money laundering.
According to the DVAC FIR, Udayakumar revealed to the income tax department in a sworn affidavit about payments to various people in cash between 2015 and 2017 to get clearances and help to build multi-storeyed apartments on Binny Mill campus on the Perambur Barracks Road.