In separate developments, two influential Indian politicians find themselves embroiled in money laundering investigations conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Delhi High Court recently granted interim bail on medical grounds to Raghav Magunta, the son of YSR Congress Party MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, in relation to an alleged excise scam. Concurrently, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy and his son, Gautham Sigamani, were subjected to a lengthy ED interrogation connected to accusations of illegal sand mining.
The Delhi court stipulated stringent conditions for Magunta’s bail, mandating his appearances at ED offices in either Chennai or Delhi upon request, and obliging him to remain in Chennai. He is to check in with ED officials twice a week and is forbidden to leave India without trial court approval. His passport has been surrendered to the trial court. The court emphasised that this bail ruling, being grounded on medical necessity, sets no precedent for future cases.
Magunta’s bail relates to charges of alleged wrongdoings in the modification of an excise policy, where undue advantages were granted to licence holders. The Delhi government, under former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, introduced this policy in November 2021, but later revoked it in September 2022 amidst corruption allegations. Sisodia, a key figure in the cases lodged by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED, is currently incarcerated.
On the southern side of the subcontinent, Ponmudy and Sigamani, following nearly 10 hours of search operations at their properties by the ED, endured intensive late-night questioning. After being allowed to depart in the early hours, they were subsequently summoned back for further enquiries.
DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has pledged his party’s unwavering support to Ponmudy, framing these proceedings as a “political vendetta” by the BJP-led Union government. The DMK, accusing the Central government of utilising the ED to exert political pressure, has also sought to mitigate the effects of these allegations on its ranks.
BJP vice president Narayanan Tirupathy has asserted that Ponmudy’s cooperation was instrumental in his non-arrest, a situation contrasting with the arrest of their party colleague V Senthil Balaji. However, no official statement regarding the seizure of any incriminating evidence or cash has been issued by the central agency.
With these cases unfolding, the political landscape in India continues to be shadowed by allegations of corruption, enforcing a sense of vigilance amongst the ruling and opposition parties alike.
