Taxmen raid Jayalalithaa's house, search Sasikala's rooms

Income Tax sleuths on Friday conducted searches in the office block of the Poes Garden residence of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a senior
official said.

Following inputs, a search operation was launched in the office block and a room used by jailed and deposed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader V K Sasikala at “Veda Nilayam,” the Poes Garden residence.

“We have not searched the entire Poes Garden premises. Our team went at 9 pm and only Poongundran’s room, records room and other room used by Sasikala were searched,” the top Income Tax official said.

Poongundran had served as an aide of the former chief minister.

The seizure included a laptop and the search would be concluded soon, he added.

Friday’s search comes days after multi-city searches in 187 locations linked to ten income tax assessee groups which include those linked to Sasikala, her kin and some associates.

Image: Heavy security is deployed outside Poes Garden as Income Tax officials carry out searches of Jayalalithaa's house. Photograph: ANI/Twitter