IT officials conduct raid at Jayalalithaa’s Poes garden residence

Police security at Jayalalithaa’s residence.(Express Photo)

The Income Tax sleuths on Friday raided the premises of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at Poes garden. The department got formal orders from the court to conduct the raid. The operation launched was only confined to Jayalalitha’s aide Poongundran’s room. “We have not searched the entire Poes Garden premises. Our team went at 9 pm and only Poongundran’s room, records room and other room used by Sasikala were searched,” the top Income Tax official told PTI.

Around 9 pm, IT officials had entered Veda Nilayam residence of the former CM. The raids are still continuing amid heavy security in the area. Jaya TV CEO Vivek Jayaraman had arrived at the premises following the search.

According to reports by ANI, former MLA and TTV Dinakaran supporter, V P Kalairajan said, “This is just political vendetta and targeting of one family.”

ADMK MLA Kalai Rajan said, “BJP is behind searches in Amma’a house. Arun Jaitley is behind this conspiracy. Amma’s house is a temple for us.

Following the raid, TTV said, “The raids shows OPS and EPS would commit any treachery to save their posts. The searches are an assault on Amma’s legacy and EPS &OPS are behind it. People behind these raids have to answer one crore ADMK cadres.”

ADMK cadres have also flocked at the Poes Garden and are shouting slogans against the IT raids.

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Earlier, the Income Tax Department claimed to have unearthed cash, valuables and documents related to undisclosed income calculated at approximately Rs 1,430 crore after concluding a five-day-long search and seizure operation, including raids on premises of sidelined AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala’s relatives and former aides of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.