The Income Tax (I-T) Department on Thursday began searches at around 40 locations linked to DMK’s Arakkonam MP S Jagathrakshakan, including his residence in Chennai’s upscale Adyar area, as well as his offices in T Nagar and Velachery.
Homes of the former Union minister’s relatives, a medical college located in Poonamallee, another near Puducherry, a prominent hotel in T Nagar, and a business establishment in Nungambakkam were also among properties where searches were conducted.
Jagathrakshakan is one of Tamil Nadu’s richest politicians, with businesses in the health, education, and hospitality sectors.
The Union BJP Government’s vindictive politics knows no bounds!
Arresting AAP MP Sanjay Singh and raiding DMK MP Jagathrakshakan’s home are clear examples of their misuse of independent investigating agencies for political ends against INDIA bloc leaders.
This deliberate… https://t.co/xZYkWDA7CI
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) October 5, 2023
The premises being searched also include Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital in Pallikaranai, and Saveetha University in Kuthambakkam.
The searches took place under heavy security deployment, with more than 150 armed reserve personnel deployed at the different locations.
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In Puducherry, the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences in Agaram, situated near Ousteri Lake, was searched by a 12-member team of the I-T department who arrived at the institute at around 8.30 am, sources said. They conducted searches at the administrative blocks while verification of hospital staff and students took place.
Reacting to the searches, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, the president of the DMK, accused the BJP-led Union government of “vindictive politics”. “Arresting AAP MP Sanjay Singh and raiding DMK MP Jagathrakshakan’s home are clear examples of their misuse of independent investigating agencies for political ends against INDIA bloc leaders. This deliberate persecution of Opposition leaders is an assault on democracy,” he said in a statement.
“The BJP conveniently forgets that the Supreme Court has just warned the ED to be transparent and fair. But it seems they are hell-bent on disregarding the rule of law and democracy. The BJP is clearly afraid of the growing unity among Opposition parties. It’s time they stop their witch-hunt and focus on addressing the real issues,” Stalin’s statement said.
