A day after Income Tax officials faced hostile reactions from DMK workers when they carried out searches at the premises of persons linked to Minister for Electricity, Excise and Prohibition, V. Senthilbalaji, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel arrived in Karur, to provide enhanced security to the IT officials, who continued with their searches in different places of the district, for the second consecutive day on Saturday.
According to sources, after a brief stay at a wedding hall, a team of 150 CRPF personnel, who arrived from Coimbatore, swung into action immediately to join with IT officials in small groups when they resumed their operations. In addition to the premises that were being searched since Friday, the IT officials were said to have expanded their search net to more places in the city on Saturday.
Informed sources told The Hindu that the IT officials had begun searches at 10 more premises in and around Karur. Most of these were the premises of government contractors and transporters engaged in transportation of liquor bottles to Tasmac outlets. Some of them were DMK workers and friends of Mr. Senthilbalaji. The searches are being kept under thw wraps. They were not disclosed to the State police as well.
Though there were no major disruptions in most places where searches were underway on Saturday, DMK workers prevented a team of IT officials from entering the house of P. Saravanan, Deputy Mayor, Karur Corporation, at Rayanur in the early hours.
According to sources, the officials, accompanied by a group of CRPF personnel, had gone to the house of Mr. Saravanan. But none of the members of the house came forward to open the door and the gate. After a long wait, the officials sealed the gate and put up a notice. Taking strong exception to the action, DMK workers entered into heated arguments with the officials. They forced them to remove the seal. The officials thereafter left from the spot.
Cases lodged against attackers
Meanwhile, the Karur police have registered four separate cases in connection with Friday’s incidents in different parts of the city. Acting on complaints lodged by Yoga Priyanka, Deputy Director of Income Tax (Investigation), Chennai, Krishnakanth, Assistant Director of Income Tax (Investigation), Chennai, T. Gayathri, Inspector of Income Tax, of Mannadi in Chennai and N. Galla Srinivas Rao, Unnava Guntour, Andhra Pradesh, the police have booked more than 100 unknown persons in connection with the incidents at Ramakrishnapuram, A.K.C. Colony and Rayanur under various sections including 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 147 (indulging in riot) and 353 (assaulting public servant from discharging duty) of the Indian Penal Code.
None of the accused have been arrested so far. A case has also been registered against Ms. Gayathri and a few other IT officials on a complaint lodged by a DMK functionary in Karur.
