ED attaches Rs 74.47 lakh from Sankararaman case accused

The Enforcement Directorate has attached Rs 74,47,700 seized from the premises of M Kathiravan, an accused in the Sankararaman murder case, who was killed here on March 21 last year.
Police had recovered Rs 74.47 lakh from the premises of Kathiravan during their investigation into his murder. The matter was taken up by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
"During the investigation by ED it was found that the said amount was in relation to the murder and hence identified to be proceeds of the crime," Joint Director, Directorate of Enforcement, Chennai Zone, K S V V Prasad said in a press release.

The ED has hence attached the amount under the provisions of PMLA for further investigation under money laundering, he added.
A Sankararaman, Manager of Varadarajaperumal temple at Kancheepuram, was allegedly murdered on September 3, 2004, in the temple premises.
He had levelled charges of financial misappropriation against Kanchi Sankaracharya Jeyendra Saraswati and his junior Vijayendra over the way they ran the Mutt.
The two Seers were among those charged with criminal conspiracy and murder of Sankararaman.
On November 27 last year, a special court in Puducherry had acquitted the two Seers along with 21 others for lack of evidence in the case.