Chennai, July 26 (Reporter) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday attached Rs 14.21 crore worth of properties of senior leader of the ruling DMK and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy in the illegal Red Earth Mining case. The properties attached included movable and immovable properties. In a social media post this evening, it said "ED, Chennai has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs. 14.21 Crore in the case of Illegal Red Earth Mining in the state of Tamil Nadu by the family members and associates of K. Ponmudy, presently MLA (DMK Party) and Minister of Higher Education, and his son Dr. P. Gautham Sigamani, former Member of Parliament." The prosecution case was that Mr Ponmudy, during his tenure as Minister of Mines and Minerals between 2007 and 2011 during the DMK rule, had misused his official powers, and granted mining licence to his son and his close relatives in violation of licence conditions and excavated sand excessively, thereby causing a loss of over Rs 28 crore to the exchequer. The case was filed by the AIADMK regime which came to power in 2011 alleging allotment of a red sand quarry at Poothurai village in Vanur block to his son Gowtham Sigamani and five others. Fearing arrest, Mr Ponmudy filed an anticipatory bail in the court. However, the Madras High Court in October 2012, refused bail to Mr Ponmudy and three others, who apprehended arrest for offences under various sections of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, TN Minor Mineral Concession Rule, Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC. After the court dismissed his plea, Mr Ponmudy was arrested from his Villupuram residence on October six, 2012. Later, he was granted bail by the court and the case was now pending before the Supreme Court. As part of the probe, the ED also issued summons to five district collectors asking them to appear before it personally in connection with the case. The Madras High Court, on November 28, 2023 stayed the summons issued by the ED asking the district collectors of Vellore, Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Thanjavur and Ariyalur to appear in connection with its ongoing probe. The ED moved the Apex Court challenging the High Court order, saying the non-cooperation would hamper its probe. Following this, the Supreme Court had stayed the high court order granting relief to the district collectors and directed them to appear before the ED in February. The Apex Court had in April this year pulled up five district collectors for not appearing personally before the ED despite orders in a money laundering probe in connection with alleged illegal sand mining. Following the Supreme Court orders, they later appeared before the court. In this backdrop, the ED today attached the properties of Mr Ponmudy in connection with the case...////...