Cracking Down on the Lottery King: Santiago Martin Under ED Scrutiny

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches across multiple states against Santiago Martin, known as the 'lottery king,' in a money laundering probe. The action follows recent court rulings allowing the investigation to proceed. Martin is noted for his extensive donations through electoral bonds and alleged lottery fraud.

The Enforcement Directorate undertook renewed searches in various states against Chennai's 'lottery king,' Santiago Martin, on Thursday. The investigation, targeting potential money laundering activities, was set in motion after the Madras High Court permitted the ED's actions despite the Tamil Nadu Police dropping initial charges.

Searches were carried out at numerous locations associated with Martin, notably his son-in-law, Aadhav Arjun, and other associates in Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Faridabad in Haryana, Ludhiana in Punjab, and Kolkata in West Bengal. This comprehensive crackdown addresses alleged lottery frauds and illegal sales linked to his business network.

This case marks the continuation of ED's scrutiny, highlighting Martin's role as a major donor through electoral bonds and his involvement in a fraudulent lottery scheme causing a substantial financial loss of Rs 900 crore to the Sikkim government. Martin's other business interests, including Martin Builders Pvt. Ltd. and Daison Land and Development Pvt. Ltd., are also under review.

(With inputs from agencies.)