Income Tax officials faced a hostile reaction from alleged supporters of Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Excise and Prohibition V. Senthilbalaji on Friday, when they reached the premises of his brother, V. Ashok Kumar, and his acquaintances in Karur district to conduct searches. Some officials were allegedly manhandled and a vehicle was vandalised.
Four senior I-T officials, including Inspector of Income Tax Gayathiri, were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Karur. They reportedly suffered minor injuries in the attack. A Deputy Director and an Assistant Director of Income Tax filed separate complaints with the Karur police.
Sources said that about 50 officials, led by a Deputy Director of Income Tax (Investigation), reached their assigned locations in Karur city around 5.30 a.m. Armed with search warrants, they entered the premises of DMK men and government contractors closely associated with Mr. Senthilbalaji.
The house of Mr. Ashok Kumar at Ramakrishnapuram was among the premises where searches were carried out.
High drama played out in front of Mr. Ashok Kumar’s house, where a large number of DMK workers and Mr. Senthilbalaji’s supporters gathered when the search was under way. They opposed the searches and raised slogans against the Central government. They entered into heated arguments with the officials who were part of the team that searched the house of Mr. Ashok Kumar. Insisting that Ms. Gayathiri produce her identity card, the supporters gheraoed her when she tried to enter the house. They did not allow her to enter the house even after she revealed her identity and confronted her. They allegedly confined her for more than 30 minutes. In the melee, a few persons were alleged to have manhandled her. The protesters also threw stones at a vehicle, damaging its windscreen and mirrors.
On information, the police rushed to the spot and held negotiations with the protesters. The DMK men dispersed at the insistence of Mr. Senthilbalaji, who was in Chennai.
Sources said the officials faced a similar situation at five other places. The protesters refused to allow them into the houses and the offices, forcing them to withdraw. However, it is said the officials resumed the searches at five places, excluding the house of Mr. Ashok Kumar, in the afternoon.
According to officials, they were no searches at the Minister’s house. The officials did not want to divulge more details, including those of the attack on the search teams. A senior police official told The Hindu that an inquiry was under way into the complaints filed by the I-T officials. Action would be taken based on the outcome of the inquiry. The police had no information about the searches till the I-T officials began the operation. However, police personnel were posted at nine places shortly after inputs about the searches were received.
The searches came days after the AIADMK and the BJP presented separate petitions to Governor R.N. Ravi, alleging large-scale irregularities in the functioning of Tasmac outlets and the private bars attached to them.
Asked about the attack on the I-T officials, Director-General of Police C. Sylendra Babu said in Coimbatore that the Superintendent of Police, Karur, had given an explanation on the matter.
I-T officials conducted searches at a few places in Coimbatore district and two places in Erode district, all linked to the close aides, friends and relatives of Mr. Senthilbalaji. The house and office of Senthil Karthikeyan, who is into real estate business, and the house and offices of some of Mr. Senthilbalaji’s relatives and close aides were searched in Coimbatore city and Pollachi. The searches continued late in the evening.
In Erode district, I-T officials from Tiruchi and Palakkad, Kerala, searched the house of Sachidanandam, 65, at Sakthi Nagar Third Cross, near Thindal, and his lorry transport office at Sengodampallam. The search started at 9 a.m. and continued till the evening. Sources said Mr. Sachidanandam is contracted to transport liquor from Tasmac godowns to outlets across the State.
