Congress man’s assets worth Rs 15 cr attached by ED

In a case related to illegal remittances abroad to the extent of US $1.97 crore by S Rajendran alias Good Luck Rajendran, the Chennai unit of the Enforcement Directorate attached immovable properties, including a flat in Chennai, two agricultural lands, three residential buildings, one marriage hall and five residential plots in and around Thiruvadanai in Ramanathapuram district. 

CBI has registered a case against him, his brother Naganathan and Chockalingam. The CBI had filed a charge sheet against them for having sent the foreign remittance through a company named Star Forex India. They had obtained full-fledged money changer licence in the name of Star Forex by furnishing bogus documents. ED added that Rajendran had earned commission by illegal remittance business and purchased many properties, which are transferred in the name of his wife under gift deed, and the same was pledged with the banks and obtained loans. 

After due investigations, it was found that the properties were linked to money laundering, and were hence attached under provisions of PMLA. 

It may be recalled that In February last year, Rajendran was nabbed in Chennai after the DRI sleuths seized 12 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 3.5 crore from his car on Pudukottai – Tiruchy highway. After Rajendran was arrested by DRI for gold smuggling, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee had sacked him from the party post last year.