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Saturday, Oct 28, 2006
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DVAC raids houses of former Ministers

Special Correspondent

Nearly 40 places searched in connection with graft cases

SEARCH ON: A police vehicle parked in front of the house of former AIADMK Minister S.M. Velusamy at Chengathurai, near Coimbatore, on Friday during a raid by DVAC personnel.

CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Friday conducted searches at nearly 40 places in the State in connection with two corruption cases against former AIADMK Ministers, N. Nainar Nagendran and S.M. Velusamy.

According to a DVAC official, the investigating agency had registered two criminal cases under sections 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Mr. Nagendran, former Industries Minister, and Mr.Velusamy, former Minister for Backward Classes Welfare, on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to known sources of their income.

Following registration of the case against Mr. Nagendran, the investigating agency formed special teams and conducted searches at six places in Chennai, 13 in Tirunelveli, three in Kanyakumari, one each at Madurai, Tindivanam, Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur and two in Ernakulam. In Chennai, the places searched were his residence at R.A.Puram, two business partners' houses at Nammalwarpet and Annanagar, two hotels at Purasawalkam and Egmore and an export firm on Anna Salai.

With regard to the case against Mr. Velusamy, nine places in Coimbatore and two places at Tirupur were searched.

Mr.Velusamy told The Hindu that only a telephone diary index and four receipts relating to property tax and water charge were seized. A bank passbook showing a balance of about Rs 29,000 was returned after it was explained that the amount was the proceeds from the sale of coconuts from his farm.

"Bid to tarnish image"

He said the raids were aimed at tarnishing his image, especially when elections were round the corner for various posts in seven town panchayats, two panchayat unions and one municipality in his constituency.

Second major operation

This is the second major operation by the DVAC after the DMK regained power. In September, it conducted searches at 23 places in connection with disproportionate wealth cases against former Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam and former Minister Anita Radhakrishnan.

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