DVAC searches at ex-Minister KC Veeramani’s premises yields Rs 28 cr assets

The Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) onThursday held searches at over 20 premises and locations related to formerAIADMK Minister K C Veeramani, including at his native Jolarpettai inThirupatthur district in connection with a disproportionate assets case, policesaid.

Veeramani, who held the Commercial Taxes portfolio in the 2016-21 AIADMKgovernment in Tamil Nadu, is the third former party minister to come under theDVAC net, the others being MR Vijayabhaskar (Transport) and SP Velumani(Municipal Administration). The opposition party dubbed the action against Veeramani as an attempt by theruling DMK to "politically" target its rival but asserted it won't becowed down by such 'raids.'

Earlier, Vigilance sleuths held searches at over 20 locations in Tirupattur andChennai among others, police said. The charge against Veeramani is that heamassed disproportionate assets during the check period, i.e. 2016-21 to theextent of around Rs 28 crore. His assets value increased to Rs 30.61 crore fromApril 2016-March 2021.

Reacting to the searches, AIADMK senior leader D Jayakumar charged the rulingDMK with trying to politically target such former ministers and "malignthe party before the eyes of the public."

"These are DMK's efforts to divert attention from its inability toimplement its various (poll) promises. At a time when rural civic polls havebeen announced, such action is being initiated to prevent (Veeramani) fromtaking up poll-related works," he told reporters here.

Among the nine districts where the rural local body elections would be heldnext month are Vellore, Tirupattur and Ranipet, with the last two being carvedout from the former.

"The AIADMK won't be cowed down by such raids," Jayakumar asserted,adding even party stalwarts and late Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaahad to weather a lot of challenges. "We will prove our innocence in thecourt," Jayakumar, himself a former Minister, said.

This is the third case that the DVAC has taken up againstformer AIADMK ministers. Last month, sleuths from DVAC conducted searches at 60premises in Chennai, Kancheepuram-Coimbatore on Tuesday in connection with acase of graft registered against former Local Administration Minister SPVelumani of the AIADMK. Houses of Velumani and his brother Anbarasan in Chennaiand Coimbatore were also under DVAC scanner.

The DVAC had carried out raids at premises belonging toformer AIADMK minister MR Vijayabhaskar in July after the agency registered acase against him, his wife and brother.

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