In one of the biggest searches carried out by Income Tax department, over 1,000 officials were involved in simultaneous search at over a 100 premises belonging to relatives and supporters of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala, and companies managed by her family members across Tamil Nadu.

At the crack of dawn, I-T department officials fanned out, searching the headquarters of Jaya TV, Namadhu MGR, Kodanad Tea Estate in Nilgiris belonging to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, and at the house of M Natarajan (Sasikala’s husband) in Thanjavur. The search was also held at the offices of Jazz Cinemas at Ekkattuthangal and Phoenix Mall in Velachery, department sources said.

The search was allegedly held in connection with unexplained and unaccounted money by various shell companies to which Sasikala and her relatives had links.

I-T officials also searched the residences of Sasikala’s brother V Dhivakaran at Mannargudi (Sasikala’s hometown), the Bengaluru residence of V Pugazhendi, a loyalist of Sasikala’s nephew and designated political heir TTV Dhinakaran, and the house of Sasikala’s niece in T Nagar, Chennai.

To maintain secrecy, IT officials travelled in the guise of a wedding party with ‘Srini weds Mahi’ pasted on many vehicles.

Dhinakaran told reporters that it the searches smacked of political vendetta against him and his aunt Sasikala carried out by the BJP along with the Tamil Nadu government.

“The Centre was trying to finish him and Sasikala politically. They cannot think that they will benefit in Tamil Nadu by destroying both. Centre sent I-T department for his remarks against demonetisation,” he said.

Dhinakaran denied swoops by officials at his Besant Nagar house, but admitted to his farm house at Puducherry being searches.

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