The Income Tax department conducted raids on 74 locations linked to Saravana Stores and the Lotus group on Friday morning.

Seventy-two of these locations are in Chennai, and the two others are in Coimbatore.

Saravana Stores is a popular retail chain in Tamil Nadu. Its owner, Yogirathinam Pondurai, is under the I-T radar.

On January 3, the I-T department raided some of Tamil Nadu's best-known eateries, including Hot Breads, Grand Sweets and Snacks and Anjappar.

Officials said the homes and offices of directors of the food chains were being raided by a team of over 100 I-T sleuths.