CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested D Senthil, brother of elusive ‘Don’ Sridhar Dhanapal, to probe charges of acquiring properties through money earned from criminal activities.
Sridhar, one of the most wanted men by the Tamil Nadu police for his involvement in various extortion cases, is said to be hiding in Dubai. Only recently, the ED officials questioned his wife, S Kumari.
According to ED’s joint director KSVV Prasad, Kumari said in her statement that all transactions relating to the purchase of immovable properties in her name were known only to Sridhar and Senthil.
“In September, we had attached five properties having a guideline value of Rs 6.19 crore registered in the name of Sridhar, 68 properties worth Rs 24.62 crore in the name of Sridhar’s wife Kumari, 11 properties worth Rs 25.65 crore in the name of his daughter and 40 properties worth Rs 23.30 crore in the name of Senthil,” said Prasad.
Senthil along with others assisted Sridhar in buying and selling a large number of immovable properties. The proceeds of crime derived from such activities is worth Rs 40 crore as per materials available on record, informed Prasad.
During interrogation, Senthil claimed he had acted only on the instructions of Sridhar who asked him to buy properties in his name and dispose them of when directed. The cash the deals generated was handed over to persons specified by Sridhar, said Prasad.
Senthil, however, did not share any information on the sale proceeds of various immovable properties held in his name and transacted. He has been remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.
Sridhar, who went underground in 2013, faces a dozen criminal cases and has amassed huge tracts of land allegedly through illegal means.