V.K. Sasikala, the jailed aide of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, has claimed that she is on ‘moun vrat’ (vow of silence) till the second week of February, and sought time to give her oral statement to the Income Tax Department, which had conducted searches on her premises late last year.
The IT Department had issues summons to her through the authorities of the Parappana Agrahara Prison in Bengaluru, where she is lodged. According to a senior official from the IT–Investigations Wing, the summons was issued in the first week of January.
“It was sent to the jail superintendent. She has communicated that she cannot speak until her ‘moun vrat’ is over.”
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Another senior official at the IT department said, “We have to record her statement regarding the searches that were conducted at her place in November 2017. Several incriminating documents regarding investments and other details were found during the searches and we will question her on that, ask for her explanation and record her statements. We will wait till she finishes her vow,” he added.
On November 9, the IT department in an operation called ‘Clean Money’ searched over 187 places belonging to Sasikala and her family members.
Firms including Jaya TV, Jazz Cinemas, Midas Golden Distilleries Private Limited were also under scanner. A few weeks later in November, the IT department searched select rooms at Veda Nilayam and seized electronic gadgets, including a laptop, desktop and other storage devices.
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