1. Minister Senthilbalaji | I-T sleuths conduct searches in Karur for the third time
For the third time within seven weeks, the premises of persons linked to arrested Minister V. Senthilbalaji are being searched by the officials of Income Tax department since this morning. The residence of Subramani, managing partner of Kondu Mess (a restaurant) in Rayanur and the Sri Ramavilas weaving factory in Chinna Andankoil are among the places, where I-T searches were launched.
Earlier, I-T sleuths held similar searches relating to the Minister in Karur on May 26 and June 23.
Meanwhile, during the hearing of the habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of the Minister’s arrest, senior counsel Kapil Sibal who represented Mr. Senthilbalaji, argued before third judge in Madras High Court that the officials of the Directorate of Enforcement were not police officers and therefore they do not have the power to investigate. They could only inquire into the issue of money laundering which does not require custodial interrogation, he added. The hearing is to continue tomorrow.
2. DVAC files charge sheet against ex-AIADMK Minister
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) filed a charge sheet against former Food and Civil Supplies Minister, R. Kamaraj and five others, before the Special Judge/Chief Judicial Magistrate, Tiruvarur, in a disproportionate assets case.
The move follows searches conducted at 51 places and subsequent investigation over a case of acquisition of assets and pecuniary resources to the tune of ₹58,44,32,252, disproportionate to the known sources of income of the former Minister and his associates.
3. OPS camp to hold state-wide stir over Kodanad case on Aug 1
Expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam’s camp announced that it would hold a state-wide protest on August 1 to urge the ruling DMK government to expedite the probe in the 2017 Kodanad heist-cum-murder case and punish the perpetrators of the crime.
Reacting to the announcement, AIADMK’s organising secretary D. Jayakumar alleged that DMK regime had an evil motive, with regard to the Kodanad case, to bring disrepute to his party. Only to support such a motive, the OPS camp has taken up this issue and they were the DMK’s B-team, he claimed.
