Chennai: In a statewide operation, I-T sleuths conducted simultaneous raids at 40 locations in connection with suspected irregularities on politicians and a diamond merchant, including the Corporation Mayor Saidai Duraisamy’s son, among others, on Monday.
Sources indicated that the raids were initiated after the agency is believed to have gained some information with regard to the seizure of Rs 4.77 crore from Karur businessman Anbunathan, ahead of Assembly poll.
Besides the unaccounted cash, 11 cash counting machines and a fake currency note detector were among items seized from Anbunathan’s possession.
Monday’s searches were expected to shed more light into the leads the I-T sleuths are pursuing at present. Searches were carried out at the CIT Nagar residence of Duraisamy where his son Vetri lives.
The family’s farmhouse in Sembakkam near Tambaram was also searched. The raids continued throughout the day. Duraisamy’s term as the first AIADMK Mayor of Chennai will come to a close by October.
Raids were conducted at the residence of Viswanathan in Dindigul and his properties. The sleuths also searched the properties of Viswanathan’s daughters and his relatives here in the City.
The premises of Coimbatore-based Kirtilals diamond jewellery store were
also being searched, including its manufacturing unit in Thudiyalur and branches.
The premises of suspended bureaucrat K. Gnanadesikan were also allegedly searched as part of this operation. However, the officials were tight-lipped about the nature and quantum of the seizure in the raids.
