Sasikala raids over, grilling begins
Income-tax sleuths have started interrogation of a number of people linked to jailed Anna DMK leader VK Sasikala, after sweeping raids on the holdings of her family
Chennai:income-taxsleuthshave started interrogation of a number of people linked to jailed Anna DMK leader VK Sasikala, after sweeping raids on the holdings of her family. The raids, which was launched on Thursdaywith1,800oficialsdeployed in187locations,endedlateonmonday.
Hundreds of bank accounts linked to Sasikala has been frozen, and people close to her have been summoned for grilling.
Sasikala’s brother and owner of STET Collegeinsundarakottainearmannargudi town, V. Divakaran, has been summoned. Her nephew TTV Dinakaran too will be summoned. In effect, this would be a demolition of Sasikala and her clan known as Mannargudi Maia. She will not have time for anything except a series of fresh cases once she leaves jail.
Three oficials of Jazz Cinemas, a venture owned by Vivek Jayaraman, who too is a nephew of Sasikala, have also been called for interrogation. Vivek, whose residence and ofices were raided in the past few days was questioned by the I-T sleuths from 5pm until 10pm on Monday. He is expected to be called in again.
I-T oficials said: “He has been running several bogus companies. We have recovered details which show that he has even registered companies using his drivers and domestic maids as benamis.
“At this stage, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would be involved for further probing of documents and persons involved.” Sasikala, who is known to have amassed massive wealth using her proximity to late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, is serving a four-year-old jail term in a case of disproportionate assets.
Jayalalithaa was irst accused in the case, which found she had piled up Rs660 million assets disproportionate to her income. Sasikala, her niece Ilavarasi and nephew Sudhakaran are also in jail with her in the same case.
Vivek, in an interaction with the media on Tuesday, tried to discount the searches. “Do not make the raids a big thing,” he said. “The I-T department will call me again and I will co-operate with them. Even the jewels my wife wore for our marriage were questioned. I have accounts for all of it.
“They asked for the accounts of Jazz Cinemas and Jaya TV. I have been looking after Jaya TV only for the past two years. I am offering full co-operation to oficials.” IT sleuths have told Dr Shivakumar, the son-in-law of Ilavarasi that he must appear before them when they call.