I-T raids at houses of TN health minister, actor Sarathkumar
Days before the crucial RK Nagar assembly bye poll on April 12, sleuths of the income department on Friday launched a series of raids at the premises and offices of state health minister C Vijayabhaskar, film actor and Sammuthuva Makkal Katchi leader Sarathkumar, ex-MP of AIADMK C Rajendran and Dr MGR Medical University VC Dr Geethalakshmi, in Chennai and other places in the state.
Premises of friends and relatives of the state health minister were also searched by IT sleuths.
The raids that began at 5.30am came after a spate of reports about rampant use of money in RK Nagar assembly constituency by AIADMK Amma candidate TTV Dinakaran (Sasikala faction). Sources said that a huge cache of money, running into crores, was recovered from the residence of the health minister.
Similarly, a few lakhs was also recovered from the Sarathkumar who has extended support to Dinakaran in the poll. Paramilitary force personnel
accompanied by local police were on guard outside his residence as also outside the premises being raided. His actress wife, Radhika, was also said to be present during the raids.
Besides, the investigators also raided a hotel in Egmore in the city where voters from RK Nagar
were being handed out money in new currency notes. In all, raids were carrying on in 21 places in Chennai and at 35 places in all at properties of health minister. The raids were carried out at 11 places in Pudukkottai, two places in Tiruchirapalli, and one place in Namakkal.