I-T raids Kanimozhi’s residence in Thoothukudi

Income Tax department on Tuesday evening swooped down on the premises currently occupied by DMK leader and party candidate from Thoothukudi, Kanimozhi, in the southern port city. The action came an hour after the Election Commission of India rescinded elections in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency where DMK Treasurer Durai Murugan’s so Kadhir Anand is a contestant.

Sources said the District Election Officer gave permission to search the bungalow, currently rented out by Kanimozhi, in Kurinji Nagar in upscale Thoothukudi to check whether a huge amount of cash is being kept there. I-T officials along with election squad are currently searching the premises in Thoothukudi, 600 km from here.

The raids evoked a strong response from DMK President and Kanimozhi’s brother M K Stalin who accused the BJP and AIADMK of “intimidating” the party candidates. “I am charging that Tamilisai Soundararajan (state BJP chief and Kanimozhi’s opponent) has tons of money in her home. Why is the I-T department not conducting raids there? They are using I-T, ED, CBI and other agencies to win elections,” Stalin charged.

He also alleged that no action was being taken against deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam or his son O P Raveendranath, AIADMK candidate from Theni, despite videos surfacing online that “showed them distributing cash for votes.”

Kanimozhi, a Rajya Sabha member, is making her Lok Sabha debut from Thoothukudi.