Chennai, 8 April (H.S.) : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹73 lakh belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) in connection with the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank money laundering case.

The ED alleges that the CPI(M) received funds from beneficiaries as donations through its governing body and invested them in immovable properties and bank accounts. The agency claims that bogus loans were sanctioned by the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank on the same property multiple times without the knowledge of society members.

The CPI(M) has vehemently denied the charges, with party state secretary M V Govindan accusing the ED of trying to tarnish the party's image. Govindan stated that the party would fight the allegations legally and politically.

The ED has filed a chargesheet in the case against 55 accused entities and has arrested four people so far. The agency may name the CPI(M) as an accused in the next supplementary chargesheet. If so, it would be the second political party to be arraigned as an accused in a money laundering investigation after the Aam Aadmi Party.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary