Mon Jan 05 07:48:58 UTC 2026: Okay, here’s a summary of the text followed by a news article rewrite:

Summary:

The Madras High Court dismissed writ petitions filed by Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I. Periyasamy and his family challenging money laundering investigations initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court’s decision was based on the fact that the petitioners had not first approached the adjudicating authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED’s case is rooted in a disproportionate assets case initially filed against the Minister by state police. While a special court previously discharged the Minister, the High Court reversed the discharge. The Minister then obtained an interim stay from the Supreme Court regarding the High Court’s order, before filing these petitions to quash the ED’s case.

News Article: Madras High Court Dismisses Minister’s Plea in Money Laundering Case

CHENNAI, January 5, 2026 – The Madras High Court today dismissed a batch of writ petitions filed by Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I. Periyasamy and members of his family, challenging investigations by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) into a money laundering case.

The First Division Bench, comprised of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan, ruled against the Minister, his son I.P. Senthilkumar, and daughter P. Indira. The court upheld the ED’s right to proceed with its investigation, citing the petitioners’ failure to first seek recourse through the adjudicating authority established under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002.

The ED’s case stems from a disproportionate assets case originally filed against Periyasamy by the Tamil Nadu state police. According to ED Special Public Prosecutor P. Sidharthan, the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was filed under the PMLA based on this predicate offense.

The court was informed that a special court dealing with Prevention of Corruption Act cases had previously discharged Periyasamy in the underlying disproportionate assets case. However, the High Court reversed that discharge in 2025. The Minister subsequently obtained an interim stay from the Supreme Court against the High Court’s reversal. Despite this, Periyasamy and his family filed the current petitions seeking to quash the ECIR and the subsequent ED proceedings.

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