Chennai: The four-day long income tax raids against friends and family of former Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji concluded on Sunday with the income tax sources indicating that tax evasion unearthed could be to the tune of Rs 100 crore.
The searches and surveys, which commenced on September 21, were conducted in the house and office of a contractor, stated to be a close associate of Balaji and 50 other places of his friends and relatives in Thanthonri Malai, Rayanur, Ramakrishna Nagar and Kamaraj Nagar areas, official sources said. Sources said that unaccounted cash of Rs 1.3 crore and Rs 3 crore worth gold besides a lot of incriminating documents were seized.
The firms, which were under the scanner of income tax department mainly involved in money lending at high interest besides those executing textile and civil contracts and also with an interest in export and import.
The raids were held in the backdrop of allegations against Balaji that he had defrauded several persons to the tune of about Rs 4 crore by promising them jobs in transport department when he was transport minister in 2015.
The Chennai Central Crime branch police are investigating the complaints filed by the duped aspirants in the case. Balaji had moved the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the case.
One of the relatives of the minister is suspected to have been involved in tax evasion to the tune of Rs 60 crore, the officials said. Senthil Balaji is among the 18 AIADMK MLAs, loyal to sidelined leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who was disqualified by the Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker recently.
