Income tax raids at houses of Tamil Nadu health minister, actor Sarathkumar

Just days before the crucial assembly bypoll in Chennai’s RK Nagar on April 12, income tax sleuths on Friday raided the houses and offices of Tamil Nadu’s health minister C Vijayabhaskar, film actor Sarathkumar, former MP C Rajendran, and Dr MGR Medical University vice-chancellor Dr Geethalakshmi.

The premises of friends and relatives of the health minister were also being searched by income tax sleuths.

The raids that began around 5.30am came after a spate of reports about rampant use of money in RK Nagar by AIADMK Amma (Sasikala faction) candidate TTV Dinakaran.

According to sources, a huge amount of money, running into crores of rupees, was recovered from the residence of the health minister.

A few lakh rupees were also recovered from Sarathkumar, a leader of the Sammuthuva Makkal Katchi party who has extended support to Dinakaran in the poll, sources said.

Paramilitary personnel accompanied by police were put on guard outside the premises being raided.

Sarathkumar’s actress wife Radhika is said to have been present when the raids took place.

Besides, income tax investigators also raided a hotel in Egmore in Chennai where voters from RK Nagar were allegedly being handed out money.

In all, raids were carried out in 21 places in Chennai alone, 11 places in Pudukkottai, two places in Tiruchirappalli and one place in Namakkal.

Income tax department sources indicated that several documents related to the byelection were seized from the premises being raided.

Vijayabhaskar has been on the income tax radar for some time now, sources said.

It is alleged that he had played a key role in guarding MLAs at the Kuvathur resort before the floor test in the assembly after the formation of the Edapaddi Palaniswami government supported by VK Sasikala. Sources said five MLAs from the ruling party were also under the scanner.