Chennai/IBNS: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has frozen assets worth Rs. 41.9 crores kept in fixed deposits of Tamil Nadu Education Minister K Ponmudi and his son in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining.

The Minister is an MLA from the Tirukkoyilur Assembly seat in Villupuram district while his 49-year-old son Gautam Sigamani is a Member of Parliament representing the Kallakurichi seat.

The probe agency carried out searches across seven locations linked to the Minister under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

'ED has conducted search operations under PMLA, 2002 on 17/07/2023 at seven locations connected to K. Ponmudy, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and a serving Minister of Higher Education in the Government of Tamil Nadu, and his son, Gautam Sigamani, MP,'' the agency tweeted Tuesday after the Minister appeared for questioning for the second time.

The father-son duo had left its office only early this morning after nearly seven hours of questioning overnight.

''During the searches, various incriminating documents, cash amounting to ₹ 81.7 lakh, foreign currency (British pounds) equivalent to approx. ₹ 13 lakh was seized and Fixed Deposits of Rs.41.9 Crore have been freezed (sic),'' the agency added.

The ruling DMK termed the central agency's action as a "political vendetta", adding that it was being done to divert attention from the mega opposition meet in Bengaluru.

It is alleged that Ponmudi had quarried 2.64 lakh truck loads of red sand beyond permissible limits when he was the minister in 2011.