Friday night’s raid at Jayalalithaa’s residence came barely a few days after Income Tax department carried out search at more than 140 residential and business premises linked to VK Sasikala and her family members.
Income Tax sleuths searched the Poes Garden residence of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday night in what is believed to be part of a crackdown on jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala and her family members.
Jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala and her family members have faced a series of raids in the past week over possible tax evasion and money laundering.(PTI File Photo)
More than 10 IT officials were at Veda Nilayam, which Sasikala once shared with the late AIADMK leader.
Sources said the search was for possible unaccounted for wealth owned by Sasikala, who is serving a jail term for corruption.
Sources said the sleuths were looking for a laptop and a desktop computer and four pen drives that were believed to have been used by Sasikala.
The raid came barely a few days after Income Tax department carried out three-day search at more than 140 residential and business premises linked to Sasikala and her family members, known as the ‘Managurdi mafia’ in reference to her ancestral town.
Supporters of Saikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran congregated outside the residence and on roads leading to it, shouting slogans against the central government.
The IT searches at Poes Garden is a betrayal of Amma’s soul, Dinakaran tweeted.
“On whatever reasons the raids are being conducted at residence of Jayalalithaa, the deed is definitely to save EPS and OPS. Amma’s atma (soul) won’t pardon EPS and OPS,” he added in reference to chief minister E Palanisami and his deputy, O Panneerselvam.
The CEO of Jaya TV Sasikala’s nephew Vivek Jayaraman also reached Poes Garden.
The searches had court permission, the sources said.
The operation follows interrogation of Jayalalithaa’s secretary S Poongundran and Vivek Jayaraman over the past few days.
Poongundran’s house was also raided earlier and he was summoned for questioning two times by the IT department.