Another former AIADMK minister booked in DA case | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Another former AIADMK minister booked in DA case

Sep 17, 2021 12:16 AM IST

Veeramani is the third former AIADMK minister, besides MR Vijayabaskar and SP Velumani, to come under the DVAC net after MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government came to power in May this year.

Chennai: Officials of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Thursday held searches at 35 locations, including two in Bengaluru and six in Chennai, of former Tamil Nadu minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader KC Veeramani in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

The AIADMK has already formed an internal legal committee to help party leaders fight cases registered against them by the DMK government. (PTI)
The AIADMK has already formed an internal legal committee to help party leaders fight cases registered against them by the DMK government. (PTI)

From the raids, officials seized nine luxury cars including a Rolls Royce, 1.9 lakhs worth of cash in US dollars, 275 units of sand worth 30 lakhs, gold and diamond jewellery and five hard disks, the DVAC said in a statement.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Veeramani is the third former AIADMK minister, besides MR Vijayabaskar and SP Velumani, to come under the DVAC net after MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government came to power in May this year. Veeramani hasn’t spoken on the corruption charges levelled against him, but his supporters promptly gathered outside his house to protest the raids. His party also issued a statement, complaining that the raids were prompted by “political vendetta”.

A first information report (FIR) registered by the vigilance directorate on Wednesday said Veeramani was “involved in corrupt activities” and acquired assets disproportionate to his income by 654% between 2016 and 2021 when he was a minister of commercial taxes in the AIADMK government.

“Searches are ongoing in 28 places across the state and including four in Chennai,” a senior DVAC official said on the condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The two-time legislator won the 2011 and 20116 assembly elections from the Jolarpet constituency in Tirupathur district, 200 km north of Chennai. Veeramani, however, lost the seat to his DMK rival by a little less than 1,100 votes in the assembly elections held earlier this year.

Arappor Iyakkam, a non-profit that first filed a complaint against Veeramani, alleged that the AIADMK leader started indulging in corruption in 2011 when he first became a legislator and minister in the J Jayalalithaa government and oversaw departments of school education and Tamil culture apart from holding additional charge as health minister in his first term.

In the FIR, the DVAC said investigators decided to focus on his second term since he held charge of the sensitive commercial taxes department. During this period, the FIR said, his assets increased from 25.9 crore to 56.6 crore while his income was estimated to be 4.3 crore and expenses were pegged at 2.56 crore.

The FIR further said Veeramani acquired properties and pecuniary resources in his name and in the name of his mother, C Maniyamal.

The FIR, which accused him of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said he was estimated to have acquired assets worth 28.7 crore, “which works out to be 654% more than his total income.”

The AIADMK has already formed an internal legal committee to help party leaders fight cases registered against them by the DMK government.

Former transport minister MR Vijayabhaskar was the first prominent AIADMK leader to be raided by the vigilance team in July this year. DVAC officials had then claimed to have seized 25.5 lakh in cash, sale deeds, and other documents.

In August, DVAC went after AIADMK heavyweight and former municipal administration minister SP Velumani, who is known to be close to former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Last year, the DMK, while still in the opposition, submitted a list of corruption charges to outgoing Governor Banwarilal Purohit against half a dozen AIADMK ministers, and later in the run-up to the assembly elections, promised to establish a special court to try such graft cases.

“The DMK hasn’t been able to fulfil its election promises so they are foisting false cases against our leaders,” the AIADMK said in a statement. A DMK leader without wishing to be named said that it was their election promise to bring corrupt former leaders to book. “They have to pay for their actions now,” he said.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Divya Chandrababu is an award-winning political and human rights journalist based in Chennai, India. Divya is presently Assistant Editor of the Hindustan Times where she covers Tamil Nadu & Puducherry. She started her career as a broadcast journalist at NDTV-Hindu where she anchored and wrote prime time news bulletins. Later, she covered politics, development, mental health, child and disability rights for The Times of India. Divya has been a journalism fellow for several programs including the Asia Journalism Fellowship at Singapore and the KAS Media Asia- The Caravan for narrative journalism. Divya has a master's in politics and international studies from the University of Warwick, UK. As an independent journalist Divya has written for Indian and foreign publications on domestic and international affairs.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On