Chennai: Krishna Priya and Shakila – daughters of V.K. Sasikala’s sister-in-law Ilavarasi, Jaya TV General Manager Natarajan and Pugazhendi, close aide of rebel AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, on Wednesday appeared before the Income Tax investigators here who sought clarifications about their income and properties.
Krishna Priya and Shakila appeared before the authorities along with their husbands and are understood to have responded to queries raised by the Income Tax investigators. Emerging out of the Nungambakkam office of the Investigation Wing of the Income Tax, Krishna Priya said she cooperated with the authorities and would appear again if she were asked to do so.
“I don’t think there is any politics involved in the Income-Tax raids. It is the duty of I-T officials to raid and I think they just did their duty. Since the investigation is on, it is not proper for me to comment,” she told reporters here. Her comments are in contrast with the statement by rebel leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who happens to be her relative, who has termed the I-T searches as “political vendetta” by the Centre and State Governments.
The appearance of Krishna Priya and her sister Shakila before the I-T authorities came two days after five-day long raids were wrapped up in their residences and that of their brother Vivek Jayaraman, who happens to be the CEO of Jazz Cinemas and Managing Director of Jaya TV. The I-T officials have said they have found tax evasion to the tune of '1,430 crores and have recovered gold and property documents.
Vivek, who was speculated to come to the I-T office for investigation for the second time in two days, is expected to appear before authorities on Thursday even as speculation mounted that Sasikala’s brother Dhivakaran will also show himself up before the officials on Thursday morning. The five-day long I-T raids that began last Thursday continued till Monday evening in more than 180 locations across the state.
