Former AIADMK minister K P Anbalagan was raided by sleuths from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC) on Thursday after filing a case for allegedly amassing wealth worth Rs 11 crore disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The raids, which covered a total of 58 premises, including one in Telangana, owned by or related to Anbalagan and his family members, lasted for over 10 hours. At the end of the searches, the DVAC said unaccounted cash of Rs 2.65 crore, 6.637 kg of gold, 13.85 kg of silver, keys of bank lockers, and other incriminating documents were recovered from the premises that were raided.
Besides Anbalagan, the DVAC has booked his wife A Malliga, sons A Sasi Mohan and A Chandra Mohan and daughter-in-law Vaishanavee in the case filed at Dharmapuri on January 19. Anbalagan, who held various portfolios from 2016 to 2021 during the AIADMK regime, is one of the senior leaders of the party hailing from the northern region.
In the FIR, DVAC said the case relates to amassing of wealth during Anbalagan’s tenure as Higher Education Minister and other portfolios from 2016 to 2021. It said a discreet verification showed Anbalagan was in possession of immovable and movable assets in his name and in the names of his family members which are disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Quoting the affidavits filed by Anbalagan during the 2016 and 2021 assembly elections, the DVAC said the total income and properties acquired in his name and in the name of his immediate family members should not have exceeded Rs 10.10 crore during the check period.
“But he has acquired assets worth Rs 11,32,95,755 more than his total income, which is disproportionate to the known sources of income. Further, it is learnt that A-1 (Anbalagan) has acquired many more assets in his name and in the names of his family members, relatives and associates which are disproportionate to his known sources of income in various places in and around Tamil Nadu and outside,” the FIR stated.
Anbalagan is the sixth minister in the erstwhile Edappadi K Palaniswami cabinet to be raided by the DVAC after the DMK government stormed to power in May this year. M R Vijayabhaskar, S P Velumani, K C Veeramani, C Vijayabaskar, and P Thangamani were earlier raided by the DVAC.
The DMK, while in opposition, had submitted a list of corruption charges against half a dozen ministers. The party had also promised to constitute a special court to try all such cases.