Income-Tax sleuths knocked on the doors of former Minister for Power Natham R. Viswanathan and Vetri Duraisamy, son of Mayor Saidai Duraisamy, and Meenakshi Mission Hospital premises on Monday morning, suspecting tax evasion.
A huge contingent of taxmen carried out search operations at more than 40 locations across the State.
A senior income tax official told The Hindu , “I don’t want to get into the details at this point of time. We are looking at the assets and the various sources of income of both these parties.” When asked whether the Mayor’s house would also be searched, the official said, “We are not doing it now. We are searching properties belonging to his son alone.”
Officials from Madurai, Tiruchi and Chennai raided Mr. Viswanathan’s house at Vembarpatti village in Dindigul. The team members reportedly interrogated the former Minister and his brother-in-law R.V.N. Kannan and their relatives in the house.
Mr. Viswanathan, who came out of the house in the afternoon, waved his hands to the waiting mediapersons, indicating they should leave the place. Later, he told them there was nothing in his house. “Who gave you the information (about the raid),” he asked the reporters. The officials did not come out of the house till 6.30 p.m. A farm house belonging to Vetri and all his properties were also searched. “The raids are still on. We will give the details tomorrow,” the Income Tax official added.
Stripped of postsWithin hours of the raids, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa stripped him of his party posts, which were given to him in June. A party press release said Mr. Viswanathan shall cease to hold the post of organisational secretary as well as a media spokesperson.
(With inputs from K. Raju and Dennis S. Jesudasan)
