Former AIADMK minister Thangamani raided by DVAC; party slams 'political vendetta'

P Thangamani on Wednesday became the fifth former AIADMK minister to be raided by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC), after the DMK came to power in May this year, for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income and investing a “huge amount” in crypto assets.

The opposition party hit out at its rival, the ruling DMK, with Leader of Opposition K Palaniswami alleging that the vigilance action was due to "political vendetta" and the AIADMK's "growing clout." It was also a 'diversionary' tactic by Chief Minister M K Stalin, AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami told PTI.

Sleuths of the DVAC swopped down on 69 premises owned by or related to Thangamani and his family members in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Two premises in Bengaluru were also searched.

Besides Thangamani, the DVAC has booked his wife T Santhi and son T Dharanidharan in the case filed at Namakkal in the western region of Tamil Nadu. At the end of the searches, DVAC said, Rs 2.37 crore in cash, gold ornaments weighing 1.130 kg, incriminating documents of bank accounts, mobile phones, and keys of several lockers and computer hard disks were recovered.

Thangamani, who held various portfolios from 2011 to 2021 during the 10-year AIADMK rule, was one of the most powerful ministers in the Edappadi K Palaniswami cabinet which assumed office in 2017 after J Jayalalithaa’s death the previous year. In the FIR, DVAC said the case relates to amassing of wealth during Thangamani’s tenure as Electricity Minister from 2016 to 2021.

The FIR said Thangamani has acquired and was in possession of movable and immovable assets in his name and in the names of his family members, relatives and others which are “disproportionate to his known sources of income and thereby intentionally enriched himself and his family members, relatives and others illicitly during the period of his office.”

The DVAC said while Thangamani’s son Dharanidharan showed “huge business” in the name of Murugan Eaarth movers, an inquiry revealed that the company was only on paper and was used as a cover to the “illegal income” of the former minister and assets acquired by him as a “public servant.”

The agency also said Santhi, who is a housewife and does not hold any business, “intentionally aided” Thangamani and Dharanidharan to acquire “ill-gotten money” and hid them from the eyes of the law by filing Income Tax as and when required for her husband and son.

It said since the likely savings of Thangamani was about Rs 2.60 crore during the check period (May 23, 2016, to March 31, 2020) and hence, the pecuniary resources and properties acquired by him and in the names of his wife and his son should not have exceeded the same.

“But he has acquired assets worth Rs 4,85,72,0197- in excess out of his total income, which is disproportionate to the known sources of income,” the FIR said, adding that S Dinesh Kumar, Thangamani’s son-in-law, is a partner in many firms while his father owns over 100 lorries.

“It is further suspected that A-1 (Thangamani) and A-2 (Dharanidharan) have acquired many more assets which are disproportionate to his known sources of income and kept in the name of their in-laws, relatives and associates in various places in and around Tamil Nadu and outside. Further, there is reliable information that they have invested huge amount from the ill-gotten money in crypto assets,” the FIR added.

Thangamani is the fifth 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, and K C Veeramani, and C Vijayabaskar were earlier raided by the DVAC.

The DMK, while in opposition, had submitted a huge list of corruption charges against half a dozen ministers. The party had also promised to constitute a special court to try all such cases.

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