IT raids on Sasikala clan nets 8kg gold

Several property documents seized by IT officials to detect tax evasion, reports say

Income tax officials continued for the fourth day yesterday their search for unaccounted wealth on the premises of jailed AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala’s kin and their business associates, officials said.

Sasikala, jailed for corruption, was a confidante of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha and lived with her for decades.

According to a tax official, the raids continued on several premises. While the official was mum on the amount of cash, jewellery and property documents allegedly seized, unconfirmed reports said that gold weighing around 8kg and several property documents had been seized by IT officials.

The official said the department waited for the individuals and companies associated with Sasikala to file their tax returns for the year. Based on the filing and the data with the IT department, the searches were carried out to detect tax evasion.

After analysing the documents and obtaining clarifications, tax demand would be raised, the official told IANS.

Raids follow IT filings

The searches were conducted in connection with unexplained routing of cash post-demonetisation through shell companies allegedly connected to Sasikala and her nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran, who heads one of the factions of the AIADMK.

The IT department will look at the routing of funds within India whereas other agencies will look into the routing of money outside India, the official said.

“We have information about shell companies and the search is in connection with their operations,” he said. A decision on freezing the bank accounts of the searched persons and companies would be taken only after collating the data from the seized papers.