KOCHI: Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji's brother is in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate in Kochi. Balaji's brother Ashok Kumar was taken into custody by the ED officers from Chennai. It is reported that Ashok Kumar will be brought to Chennai this evening. Notices were sent four times but he did not appear. According to reports he might be produced in court tomorrow.

Before Senthil Balaji's arrest, ED officials had searched Ashok Kumar's house. Despite repeated requests by the Income Tax Department and the ED to appear in person, Ashok Kumar kept away, demanding time to respond to the documents found by the ED. Suspecting that he may have gone abroad, the police issued a lookout notice.

Ashok Kumar's wife Nirmala acquired property using Senthil Balaji's benami money, the remand report said. After this, Nirmala was also asked to appear. The ED had banned construction work on the land where Ashok Kumar's house is being built. It was assessed that the bungalow would be constructed on 2.49 acres of land using the Minister's money. This ED also found that after taking a loan from the bank for construction on the land in Nirmala's name, it was gifted to his mother.