Tamil Nadu: DVAC Raids AIADMK Ex-Minister SP Velumani's Residence Again

The recent complaint filed by DVAC on Monday said, the former Minister swindled Rs 58.23 crore during the period of office as the Minister of Municipal Administration, Rural Development and Law.

SP Velumani | Credit: ABP Nadu

Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) started to raid the residence and offices of former AIADMK Minister SP Velumani and his associates once again on Tuesday. The senior AIADMK functionary's residence was earlier raided in August in connection with a complaint registered by DMK's RS Bharathi and an anti-corruption watchdog Arappor Iyyakkam against the former Minister for allegedly earning disproportionate assets and awarding contracts of Chennai and Coimbatore Corporations to his close associates. 

According to a report on ABP Nadu, DVAC is conducting raids at 58 places including the residence and offices of SP Velumani, his assistant Santhosh and other related persons on Tuesday. The raids are taking place in places including Coimbatore and Salem. 

The DVAC started the raids after registering another FIR on Monday alleging that the former Minister swindled Rs 58.23 crore during the period of office as the Minister of Municipal Administration, Rural Development, and Law. “The disproportionate assets to the known source of income come to 3928% of total income,” the FIR said. 

On Tuesday, the AIADMK cadre surrounded the house of the AIADMK leader and staged a protest against the raids by calling it a ‘political vendetta. 

Earlier, in August, the FIR filed against the Minister said, nearly Rs 811 crore tenders were awarded to former Minister SP Velumani's associates. In the raids, the DVAC seized Rs 13 lakh in cash, Rs 2 crore worth fixed deposit, land documents, hard discs and other documents of business firms.