Income-Tax department seizes Rs 1.48 crore ‘bribe’ cash linked to AMMK

Chennai: The Income-Tax department Wednesday seized Rs 1.48 crore cash stashed allegedly by supporters of TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK party to bribe voters in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district, where an assembly bypoll is scheduled Thursday.

Unaccounted cash worth Rs 1.48 crore was seized. It was neatly packed in 94 packets and envelops on which the ward number, number of voters and the amount of Rs 300 per voter was written, I-T Director General (investigations) B. Murali Kumar said, after the overnight raids concluded at 5.30 am.

“All these wards are within the Andipatti assembly segment which is going to bypoll Thursday, the officer added. Kumar added that the premises belongs to a functionary of the AMMK party.

In fact, the AMMK party office functions from the ground floor of the premises, he said.  The department will send a report on the operation to the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the policy-making body for the tax department, and the Election Commission in Delhi, a senior official said.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader Thanga Tamilselvan said Wednesday his party had nothing to do with the Rs 1.48 crore cash seized by tax officials and alleged it was a drama enacted by the ruling AIADMK.

The AMMK's Theni Lok Sabha candidate Thanga Tamilselvan said, "People know it, this is a drama planned and enacted by the AIADMK."

He told reporters his party had nothing to do with the searches by the income tax department and the seized money.

Speaking to reporters at Andipatti, he said the building complex where the searches were held was owned by a local ruling party leader.

"Will even a fool store the money in a place owned by an AIADMK office-bearer?" he asked.

He alleged the "money was stored by the AIADMK men."

The AMMK leader said his party functionary Jayaraman's office functioned from the ground floor.

"This is a well planned conspiracy and in a bid to implicate us (AMMK) our party workers have been arrested," he said.

After holding searches for hours that began Tuesday night in a commercial complex premises in Andipatti, income tax sleuths seized Rs 1.48 crore and the cash was suspected to be kept aside for distribution to voters.

The Rs 1.48 crore was neatly packed in 94 packets and envelopes on which the ward number, number of voters and the amount of Rs 300 per voter was written, I-T Director General (investigations) B Murali Kumar said, after the overnight raids concluded at 5:30 am. During the raids, police had to open fire in the air to disperse supporters of the TTV Dhinakaran-led AMMK who objected to the action.