I-T raids: 4 officials attacked by minister's supporters in Karur

TIRUCHY: High drama prevailed in Karur on Friday after supporters of Tasmac contractors attempted to forcibly stop a 50-member team of Income Tax sleuths from carrying out raids on the houses and establishments of the contractors.

Scores of supporters of the Tasmac contractors besieged and blocked the I-T officials alleging that they were attacked. But, the raid party resumed their work after five hours amidst high police protection.

Sources said that the taxmen came to Karur in the early hours on Friday to search as many as 10 premises. Around 150 officials from Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Madurai and Dindigul came by over 50 vehicles.

When the team went to Ramakrishnapuram to search the house of a Tasmac contractor, a big group of supporters prevented the entry of the officials and raised slogans. They demanded a woman I-T official to show the identity card, and this triggered an intense argument. During the high decibel verbal altercation, it is said, the woman official had reportedly assaulted a cadre, identified as Kumar, and he fainted. Soon he was rushed to a private hospital by an ambulance.

As the news about the alleged assault by the woman official spread, more number of supporters rushed to the spot and besieged the car in which the woman official travelled and one of the supporters had reportedly attacked the car in which the windshield had broken. This led to another bout of heated argument.

On information, Karur town police rushed to the spot, rescued the woman official and took her to the police station.

Meanwhile, the woman official lodged a complaint with the police that she was attacked by the supporters of the contractors. As the situation was going out of control, the search party was forced to suspend the operation after 10 am. Following this, the taxmen met SP A Sundaravadanam and lodged a complaint against the supporters. The officials alleged that the poor police protection led to the situation. The SP told them that there was no prior intimation and hence, they could not provide security. The SP also clarified that the I-T officials used to be accompanied by para-military personnel.

Later, the SP ordered police protection to the officials. Each vehicle had a sub inspector and a police constable and the search resumed after 5.30 pm and continued when the news came in last.

Meanwhile, I-T officials Gayathri, Sunil Kumar, Pankaj Kumar and Kalla Srinivasa Rao, who were reportedly assaulted by the group, were admitted to the Karur Government Medical College Hospital.