The Tamil Nadu government was not aware of paramilitary forces being deployed at the residence of Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao in Chennai where income tax officials commenced searches early on Wednesday.
Neither the Public Secretary nor the Director General of Police was aware of any requisition for deployment of central police forces in the city.
Though State police personnel were initially posted to guard the residence of Mr. Rao at Anna Nagar as searches began around 5.30 a.m., CRPF personnel took charge around noon, apparently at the request of the Income Tax department.
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"Deployment of central forces is normally done at the request of the State government as 'Law and Order' is a State subject. In this case, it seems that the State made no such request," a senior police officer, who preferred not to be quoted said.
However, under the provisions of Section 132 of the Income Tax Act, the authorised officer "may requisition the services of any police officer or of any officer of the Central Government or of both, to assist him for all or any of the purposes specified" under various sub-sections that include entry and search "of any building, place, vessel, vehicle or aircraft where he has reason to suspect that such books of account, other documents, money, bullion, jewellery or other valuable article or thing are kept...and it shall be the duty of every such officer to comply with such requisition."
While top bureaucrats remained tight-lipped on the developments, police sources said the roping in of Central forces would have been necessitated either in anticipation of 'law and order' issues or shortage of local police at the scene of searches.
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Central police forces were last deployed in Tamil Nadu after the death of the former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa.