Chennai, Oct 23 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches against former AIADMK minister Vaithiyalingam and some others as part of a money laundering case investigation, official sources said.

The raids are being undertaken in four cities in the state, including Chennai, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

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The ED investigation is related to alleged quid pro quo in giving sanctions for Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority works during Vaithiyalingam's stint as the Tamil Nadu housing development minister.

It is alleged that "tainted" funds were received as unsecured loans in the bank accounts of some companies allegedly linked to him.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)