November 10, 2017
Image credit : Illustrative Image
Chennai: IT sleuths continued raids on Sasikala and her relatives, business associates and friends for the second day on Friday in one of the biggest IT raid in the country with simultaneous raids in 187 locations spread across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Puducherry.
According to sources, the IT has called in for more officials from neighboring states to assist them in carrying out the raids and to collate the information collected and analyse it. At 40 places, raids are over, sources said but in the rest, search and questioning of people was still continuing.
This is by far the biggest attack on the Mannargudi clan that was all-powerful in Tamil Nady with its interests in every pie and its business interests spread across liquor, films and media. Besides, the clan and its extended family members infiltrated into many government departments and exerted an influence on the government and its functioning, sources said.
The raids, according to BJP state president Tamilisai Soundarrajan were completely justified and had come after the IT had secured some proof of the targets allegedly running some shell companies. The raids are to detect tax evasion, fraudulent financial dealings and operation of shell companies.
IT officials have seized some incriminating documents from the premises of those people being searched, who include Sasikala’s close relatives. Among the places the raids are continuing include the residence of M. Natarajan, Sasikala’s husband, in Thanjavur, Kodanad Tea Estate belonging to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, Jazz Cinemas, Midas Distilleries, Sharada Paper and Boards, Senthil Group of Companies, Nilgiri Furniture in Coimbatore, Jaya TV, Namadhu MGR and several other premises in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Bengaluru.
Among those under search include Jayalalithaa’s doctor Siva Kumar in Tiruchy.
Bank lockers of those under search would be carried out, sources said.
Jaya TV staffers were allowed to enter their office and function normally on Friday sources said. Only few persons were being questioned.
The opposition wondered as to why the raids were taking place and if there would be any concrete outcome of these raids.
DMK working president MK Stalin said there was no outcome from the raids that took place at the residence of health minister C Vijayabhaskar and former Chief Secretary P Rama Mohan Rao.