In the first major operation after the DMK returned to power, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday launched simultaneous searches on the premises of former Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar of the AIADMK.
After registering a disproportionate assets case against Mr. Vijayabhaskar, his wife Vijayalakshmi and brother Sekar to probe the allegation that the former Minister “intentionally enriched himself during his tenure of office as Minister for Transport”, DVAC officials conducted searches at 26 places, including in Karur and Chennai.
Cash seized
Mr. Vijayabhaskar’s house at Andankoil and his dyeing unit in Karur were also searched.
The residences of the former Minister’s parents and his brother at Andankoil, too, were searched.
The case was registered by the DVAC’s Karur detachment.
During the searches, ₹25,56,000 in cash was seized by the officials, sources said.
The DVAC teams also seized sale deed documents, documents pertaining to insurance policies and those related to transactions in firms where Mr. Vijayabhaskar is a partner and other incriminating documents were seized, the DVAC said in a statement.
Mr. Vijayabhaskar lost to Senthil Balaji of the DMK in the Karur Assembly constituency.