I-T raids not politically motivated: Sasikala nephew Jayaraman
, ET Bureau|
Nov 14, 2017, 11.44 PM IST
CHENNAI: Following income tax raids on properties linked to Sasikala and her relatives, a low profile member of the family made his first appearance in front of media on Tuesday.
Vivek Jayaraman, a 28-year-old MBA graduate, has been managing the businesses left behind by his aunt VK Sasikala before she was jailed.
The son of Illavarasi, lodged in a Bengaluru prison with Sasikala after their conviction in a disproportionate assets case, took a stand different from TTV Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew and a leader of AIADMK (Amma).
While Dhinakaran has been blaming the BJP and estranged AIADMK leaders, including Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, for the tax raids and police action against Sasikala’s family members, Jayaraman said he did not think the raids were politically motivated.
“I think the officials were just doing their duty. I firmly believe that whoever has made money wrongfully should be made accountable and it is the duty of everyone to pay their taxes,” he told reporters.
Jayaraman’s house in upmarket Mahalingapuram here has been under media spotlight during the five-day long tax raids that continued till Monday.
Unofficially, it has been reported, citing unnamed income tax officials, that in the tax raids on premises linked to Sasikala and her relatives including that of Jayaraman, tax evasion of Rs 1,430 crore has been detected.
Refusing to go into specifics, Jayaraman told reporters that income tax officials had demanded “regular documents” related to the businesses he heads – Jazz Cinemas and Jaya TV – and he has provided them.
“They may come back and inquire again and we will give them whatever documents they want to inspect,” Jayaraman said.
People who know Jayaraman or have watched him closely say he took over the management of Jaya TV last year – after the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa and around the time of the conviction of her aide Sasikala. While managing Jazz Cinemas and Jaya TV, Jayaraman had kept a low profile.
A source said Jayaraman was looking to detach the two companies from their political affiliations and run them independently.
“Vivek was planning to make Jaya TV and Jaya News neutral organisations by moving away from their earlier avatar as AIADMK mouthpieces,” said a source aware of the internal workings of Jaya TV.
At the press conference on Tuesday, Jayaraman said he has been managing Jaya TV and Jazz Cinemas for “nearly two years” and assumed top positions there at the beginning of this year.
It all started in 2012 when Jayalalithaa forced Sasikala out of her house. Allowing her back after 100 days following a public apology, she also paved way for a purge of the leadership at the TV channel.
This led to Jayaraman’s entry into the power circles at the TV network. Jayaraman studied business management in Australia before a stint at ITC in a managerial role. He was then roped in to manage Sasikala’s business empire.
Vivek Jayaraman, a 28-year-old MBA graduate, has been managing the businesses left behind by his aunt VK Sasikala before she was jailed.
The son of Illavarasi, lodged in a Bengaluru prison with Sasikala after their conviction in a disproportionate assets case, took a stand different from TTV Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew and a leader of AIADMK (Amma).
While Dhinakaran has been blaming the BJP and estranged AIADMK leaders, including Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, for the tax raids and police action against Sasikala’s family members, Jayaraman said he did not think the raids were politically motivated.
“I think the officials were just doing their duty. I firmly believe that whoever has made money wrongfully should be made accountable and it is the duty of everyone to pay their taxes,” he told reporters.
Jayaraman’s house in upmarket Mahalingapuram here has been under media spotlight during the five-day long tax raids that continued till Monday.
Unofficially, it has been reported, citing unnamed income tax officials, that in the tax raids on premises linked to Sasikala and her relatives including that of Jayaraman, tax evasion of Rs 1,430 crore has been detected.
Refusing to go into specifics, Jayaraman told reporters that income tax officials had demanded “regular documents” related to the businesses he heads – Jazz Cinemas and Jaya TV – and he has provided them.
“They may come back and inquire again and we will give them whatever documents they want to inspect,” Jayaraman said.
People who know Jayaraman or have watched him closely say he took over the management of Jaya TV last year – after the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa and around the time of the conviction of her aide Sasikala. While managing Jazz Cinemas and Jaya TV, Jayaraman had kept a low profile.
A source said Jayaraman was looking to detach the two companies from their political affiliations and run them independently.
“Vivek was planning to make Jaya TV and Jaya News neutral organisations by moving away from their earlier avatar as AIADMK mouthpieces,” said a source aware of the internal workings of Jaya TV.
At the press conference on Tuesday, Jayaraman said he has been managing Jaya TV and Jazz Cinemas for “nearly two years” and assumed top positions there at the beginning of this year.
It all started in 2012 when Jayalalithaa forced Sasikala out of her house. Allowing her back after 100 days following a public apology, she also paved way for a purge of the leadership at the TV channel.
This led to Jayaraman’s entry into the power circles at the TV network. Jayaraman studied business management in Australia before a stint at ITC in a managerial role. He was then roped in to manage Sasikala’s business empire.
