The Income Tax department continued its searches at the offices and premises of jailed AIADMK leader V.K.Sasikala and her family members.
By Saturday evening, the raids had concluded in many places, while in a few places it took time as the officials were recording statements.
A senior Income Tax official said, “We have almost concluded the raids. We will now be verifying all the documents that we have collected and only after that can we tell the media about the outcome of the raids.” The officials refused to divulge any further details. Sources said that statements of Vivek Jayaraman, the Managing Director of Jaya TV, were also recorded.
The raids, called ‘Operation Clean Money’, started at more than 187 locations in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. The taxmen claimed that several documents were seized, but they did not come out with details on their value. They have also remained tight-lipped on gold and cash seizures.
Raids continued at Mannargudi, the home town of Sasikala’s brother V. Dhivakaran. More than twenty places were under the taxmen’s radar. The searches continued at Sengamala Thayar Educational Trust Women’s College run by Mr. Dhivakaran and his house at Sundarakottai in Mannargudi.
5-hour inquiry
It is learnt that the officials had found various documents in a locked room, which was reportedly forced open, at the college. They also reportedly conducted inquiries with Mr. Dhivakaran and others for more than five hours.
A few non-teaching staff members of the college were subjected to inquiry with respect to the documents found in the college.
The police had stepped up security in and around Mannargudi on Saturday following a protest by the supporters of Mr. Dhivakaran, who blocked a vehicle of the I-T officials on Friday. Two temporary check-posts were created in Mannargudi to prevent supporters of Mr.Dhivakaran assembling at the places where searches were conducted. The police questioned “outsiders and suspected persons” at places where IT raids were conducted.