Teams of Income Tax sleuths conducted searches at the Kodanad estate and bungalow frequented by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, and the timber mill of a furniture shop owner, who allegedly supplied most of the furniture at the bungalow.
According to police sources, a team of I-T officials started the searches at the Kodanad estate around 7 a.m. in the morning.
A few hours later, they went to Curzon estate, which is also administered by the same management, and conducted searches there.
Police said that they were not told whether any documents were seized.The I-T sleuths quizzed the managers of the estate and also went to a bank nearby where the estate had its accounts. A small group of police personnel were posted outside the Kodanad bungalow during the operation. Meanwhile, police also confirmed that the I-T officials had searched a timber mill belonging to a Gudalur local, P.B. Sajeevan. Police said that it was thought that Mr. Sajeevan could have had a link to suspects in the Kodanad dacoity-cum-murder case, but they had no credible evidence against him
Sources in Coimbatore said five or six locations were covered in the Nilgiris.
In Coimbatore, searches were held at 11 locations, related mostly to two businessmen. The places searched belong to sand baron and chairman of the Senthil group of companies O. Arumugasamy and businessman P. B. Sajeevan.
Mr. Arumugasamy’s property searched in Coimbatore included the company’s offices and residence.The I-T teams searched Mr. Sajeevan’s shops, Nilgiri Furniture World, here.
In Namakkal, the searches were at held at eight locations belonging to five persons This included A. V. Balusamy, member, TNPSC, and S. Senthil, who was a member of the legal team which appeared on behalf of Jayalalithaa and V. K. Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case.
(With inputs from Rohan Premkumar in Udhagamandalam, Wilson Thomas in Coimbatore, S.P. Saravanan in Erode and Syed Muthahar Saqaf in Salem)
