Got more tip-off on cash for votes, investigating: CEO

“Investigations are under way on the stocked cash and a few more tip-off on cash for votes had reached and are under investigations,” an informed official source told DT Next hinting that the raids will continue in the state.

Going by the precedence in the past three years, the EC has rescinded polls in Tamil Nadu on two occasions. In April 2017, the RK Nagar bypoll was rescinded by the EC after the I-T department submitted that there were shreds of evidence of cash distribution to voters to a tune of Rs 89 crore. The earlier case of the cancellation of polling in two seats in the state came during the 2016 Assembly polls. The EC in a notification stated that polls to Aravakurichi and Thanjavur were cancelled due to cash inducement to voters.

“We need to see if this money is connected to any political party or a candidate. We have received a phone call confirmation about the cash seizure, but no specific details from the Income-Tax department,” Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told reporters here on Monday.

Meanwhile, I-T sleuths descended on six locations belonging to DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan simultaneously searching for unaccounted cash at around 6 am on Monday. The locations included Duraimurugan’s Gandhinagar house, the educational institutions run by his family at Christianpet and party functionaries houses at Pallikuppam (2 locations) near Katpadi, Vanjur and Kalpudur. The I-T officials arrived in 18 cars including 10 from Chennai and eight from Kancheepuram.

Speaking to reporters at Vellore, Duraimurugan said, “They came and they left without finding anything. If they thought they could make Kathir Anand lose through these tactics, they are wrong.”

When asked why he was targeted, Duraimurugan said, “They think that if they can cow down Duraimurugan, then the party will lose hope. However, they have no clue as to how people will react to such harassment.”

Close on the heels of raids conducted by officials in residence of DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan at Vellore and other premises and subsequently seized huge amount of cash, surprise raid was conducted in a farm of Anitha R Radhakrishnan, Tiruchendur MLA and DMK’s south secretary of Thoothukudi district at Thandupathu village by flying squad teams. Three flying squad team personnel got access to his farm, which is located near his house at the village, at around 7 pm on Monday and conducted search operations. The search operation lasted for about an hour, sources said. Radhakrishnan had been actively involved in campaigning for Kanimozhi, the DMK candidate for Thoothukudi Lok Sabha constituency.