ED swoops down on Tamil Nadu excise mantri, distilleries

Chennai: Enforcement Directorate began searches Thursday at places linked to Tamil Nadu electricity and prohibition and excise minister V Senthil Balaji in Chennai and Karur, as well as at offices of Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation and breweries and distilleries supplying it.
Though ED did not reveal the basis for the searches, sources said it had registered a fresh case based on multiple FIRs registered by DVAC from 2016 to 2021 on seizures of unaccounted cash from Tasmac outlets. "The suspicion is that this unaccounted cash is being used for

money laundering

. This is being probed," said a source.
ED is also said to be investigating the irrational procurement of liquor from

distilleries and breweries

. "Tasmac's procurement of liquor should be based on the three-month weighted average (average sales of a particular brand). In exceptional cases, a special indent can be raised for a particular variety of liquor, but they should show sales volumes to justify the special indent," the source added. ED received credible information on malpractices in liquor purchase, the source said.