Days After Raids on Karnataka Minister, I-T Sleuths Arrive at DMK Treasurer's Residence in Vellore

Chennai: Members of a flying squad involved in election surveillance and officers of the income tax department are conducting raids at three places across in Vellore, including the residence of senior leader and DMK treasurer Durai Murugan. Murugan’s son Kathir Anand is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Vellore constituency.

Sources said after being informed about suspected use of unaccounted money for electioneering, the district election officer requested the I-T team’s assistance in the raids, said sources.

A nodal officer and two-three staff members accompanied the raiding team on Friday, but Murugan’s legal team tried to stop them claiming the I-T department officers did not have relevant papers or jurisdiction to conduct the searches.

I-T sources said the team got a warrant after being informed by the deputy general of police.

At least five teams of the I-T department have been conducting searches at the three places, including Murugan’s residence, a college and farmhouse in and around Vellore and Katpadi.

Murugan said the raids were a “conspiracy” by some political leaders who could not face them in the electoral arena. He also questioned the timing of the raid.

“This is not the time to hold searches, be it tax or other authorities, when we are in the midst of full-fledged election campaign,” he said.

This came days after tax raids led to a political storm in neighbouring Karnataka.

In a pre-dawn operation on Thursday, tax sleuths carried out raids at 15 to 20 locations in the state, including Bengaluru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan, Ramanagar and Shivamogga, on Thursday.

Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew and close associates of PWD Minister H D Revanna were among those whose residences were raided.

Speaking to a private news channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said the raids were carried out at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.

Later, Congress and JD(S) leaders, led by Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and former chief minister Siddaramaiah, staged a demonstration in Bengaluru against the raids.

(With inputs from PTI)