The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has petitioned the Madras High Court to transfer a disproportionate assets case involving Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan and his family. The ED wants the proceedings moved from the Principal Sessions Court in Thoothukudi to a similar court in Madurai, citing that only the latter is designated as a special court for hearing offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The core of the ED's argument hinges on Section 44 of the PMLA, which they contend permits such transfers, and that the Thoothukudi court's refusal to comply was contrary to the legislation's provisions.
The case, originally initiated by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), pertains to alleged disproportionate assets. DVAC filed a chargesheet in July 2013, stating that the Minister and his family members, despite accounting for ₹5.94 crore in income and ₹1.39 crore in expenses during a specific period, were unable to explain the origin of assets valued at over ₹2 crore. Subsequently, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the PMLA based on the DVAC case.
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The Madras High Court has directed the DVAC, Anitha Radhakrishnan, and his family members to submit their counter-affidavits within four weeks. This follows the ED's appeal against the Thoothukudi court's rejection of their transfer request. The matter has been adjourned for further hearings.
Previously, the ED has taken action in this matter. In January 2025, the agency attached assets worth ₹1.26 crore and subsequently ₹1.3 crore belonging to Radhakrishnan. These attached properties were located in Thoothukudi, Madurai, and Chennai. Earlier, in 2022, the ED had attached 18 immovable properties valued at ₹1 crore. Investigations suggested that Radhakrishnan and his kin generated alleged "proceeds of crime" amounting to ₹17.7 crore, with attached properties being deemed as such. The ED noted that Radhakrishnan and his family allegedly remained in possession of these assets, amassed during the check period (2001-2006), and derived further benefits.
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Anitha R. Radhakrishnan has served as Minister for Animal Husbandry and later as Housing Minister. The current development places him under scrutiny, with a case that has seen multiple rounds of asset attachments and a legal push for a venue change for its trial. The ongoing ED probe into other ministers within the DMK government also frames this inquiry within a broader context of investigations.