Chennai: The Earnings Tax (I-T) division Friday carried out coordinated searches in over 40 properties linked to Tamil Nadu’s minister for electrical energy, prohibition and excise, V. Senthil Balaji. Properties belonging to Balaji’s brother, Ashok, in addition to these owned by different shut family members of the minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief, and contractors allegedly near him have been raided, sources in I-T division advised ThePrint.
The scenario turned tense when Balaji’s “supporters” allegedly broke the windshield of the I-T officers’ automobile, parked outdoors Ashok’s residence. A video which gone viral on social media, additionally purportedly exhibits a lady I-T official being surrounded by alleged Balaji supporters.
Raids started in Karur, Chennai and Coimbatore from round 7 am, sources in Tamil Nadu police advised ThePrint, including that I-T officers needed to return with out conducting searches at 9 properties, after being allegedly stopped by “supporters” of the DMK chief.
Particulars of the raid are usually not recognized but.
Balaji has been underneath the scanner following a 16 Could Supreme Court docket verdict, setting apart a Madras excessive courtroom order from final 12 months and permitting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to proceed its investigation towards Balaji and a few of his alleged aides, underneath provisions of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Madras HC had stayed the circumstances filed towards the minister.
The Tamil Nadu police division was given two months by the Supreme Court docket to finish its investigation within the case of alleged bribery linked to recruitment for the submit of reserve crew drivers, crew conductors, junior tradesmen (JTM), junior assistant (JA), and junior engineer within the Tamil Nadu transport division, between 2014-2015. Balaji was then the transport minister within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) authorities.
He joined the DMK — the social gathering presently in energy in Tamil Nadu — in 2018.
On Friday, Okay. Annamalai, chief of the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP) unit in Tamil Nadu, shared purported movies of lady I-T official being allegedly manhandled by DMK supporters at a raid location and wrote, “IT officers manhandled, autos vandalised by DMK goons in help of ‘money for job rip-off’ Minister Senthil Balaji & his brother. TN CM Thiru @mkstalin ought to instruct his social gathering males to behave responsibly & remind them that we don’t dwell within the 60s.”
Whereas BJP ally AIADMK additionally hit out on the alleged “unprecedented corruption” of the ruling social gathering, the DMK got here out in help of Balaji.
The “I-T, ED and CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] are being utilized by Centre [under BJP] to take revenge on opposition events. Karnataka election defeat has given worry to the BJP of its future, DMK organisational secretary R.S. Bharati stated, whereas addressing the media on the DMK headquarters in Chennai, Anna Arivalayam.
In elections to the Karnataka meeting held earlier this month, the Congress secured a decisive majority, defeating the then-incumbent BJP.
Bharati additionally accused Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai of orchestrating the raids towards Balaji and referred to as it BJP’s “low-cost politics”. Bharati additionally questioned why the native police weren’t knowledgeable in regards to the raids and brought as escort, as is the conventional protocol.
In the meantime, Balaji, whereas speaking to the media in Chennai Friday stated, his residences in Chennai and Karur weren’t being searched by IT officers. He additionally alleged that officers had reached his brother Ashok’s residence early morning, and although Ashok was not at residence on the time, and even earlier than the residents might open the door, officers had jumped the gate and entered the home.
He added: “In response to info, raids are underway in round 40 locations, and we are going to absolutely cooperate with the investigation.”
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‘Money-for-jobs rip-off’
Balaji and his alleged shut aides have been accused of taking bribes from job aspirants for vacancies within the state transport division between 2014 and 2015.
It has been claimed that whereas just a few of those that allegedly paid the bribe have been provided jobs instantly, some names have been put within the pending listing and these folks have been assured of jobs after the 2016 state meeting polls.
Although the AIADMK returned to energy in 2016, the sudden demise of social gathering supremo after which Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and a subsequent cut up throughout the social gathering noticed Balaji being ousted from the social gathering.
In 2017, in a factional battle between then senior DMK chief Edappadi Palanisamy (EPS) and Jayalalithaa aide V.Okay. Sasikala, Balaji had come out in help of Sasikala’s nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran. In 2017, although an MLA from Aruvakkuruchi constituency, he was amongst 18 disqualified MLAs, who had not supported EPS as CM throughout a vote of confidence in meeting.
Balaji was additionally instrumental within the formation of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), a breakaway faction of the AIADMK led by Dhinakaran.
In December 2018, Balaji joined the DMK within the presence of social gathering chief M.Okay. Stalin. This was a homecoming for the 47-year-old, who had been a DMK earlier than becoming a member of AIADMK in 2000.
In 2018, based mostly on 4 complaints that have been filed towards Balaji and some others within the alleged cash-for-jobs rip-off, an FIR was registered underneath Sections 406 (punishment for legal breach of belief), 420 (dishonest), and 506 (punishment for legal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was filed earlier than a particular courtroom for members of parliament (MPs) and members of the legislative meeting (MLAs) — MP/MLA courtroom — in 2019.
The identical 12 months Balaji was once more elected MLA within the Aruvakkuruchi by-election, on a DMK ticket. Within the 2021 meeting election, contesting from Karur, Balaji gained with 101,757 votes.
He approached the Madras HC that 12 months, requesting the FIRs towards him be quashed, claiming he had reached a settlement with 13 of the job aspirants. The courtroom accepting this had quashed the continuing of the particular courtroom.
An enchantment was, nevertheless, filed towards this.
The ED in the meantime, taking cognisance of the problem, filed 4 circumstances within the alleged cash-for-job rip-off. After naming Balaji as an accused, a summons was additionally issued towards him by ED in 2019.
The DMK minister then approached the Madras HC once more difficult the summons, resulting in the courtroom quashing the summons and placing a keep order on the FIRs final 12 months.
Demand for removing from cupboard
Balaji, a four-time MLA, has been now going through stiff resistance from opposition events.
Days earlier than this month’s Supreme Court docket judgment within the cash-for-job case, round 22 folks had died within the state in two separate circumstances of hooch tragedy within the state, fuelling calls for for Balaji’s resignation from the ministry being raised by the BJP and the AIADMK.
“His division is seeing unprecedented corruption working to 1000’s of crores. And the cash move allegedly reaches until the highest to his boss, M.Okay. Stalin and household,” claimed AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan, whereas speaking to ThePrint.
Sathyan added: “The current uproar on social media just about promoting of liquor above the MRP and promoting by way of unlicensed bars and involvement of gangs from Karur appearing as assortment brokers fixing targets for TASMAC [Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation Limited, which handles all liquor trade in the state] are severe allegations that should be addressed by the DMK authorities. In EB (Electrical energy Board) too there are a number of obtrusive points in awarding contracts and favouring contractors and shoddy offers in electrical energy procurements. Money-for-job rip-off is constant on this regime as nicely and allegation of his associates gathering cash in return for presidency jobs continues to be prevalent.”
In the meantime, BJP state vice chairman Narayanan Thirupathy talking to ThePrint demanded, “The hooligans who tried to assault earnings tax officers and broken their autos throughout raids at locations associated to minister Senthil Balaji in Karur ought to be arrested underneath the Goondas Act.” He additional added, “Senthil Balaji ought to be faraway from the cupboard as this assault was carried out at his instigation.”
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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