Cash for vote: I-T may summon 6 more TN ministers & one MP
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Sivakumar B
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Chennai
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Income Tax sleuths are
likely to summon six ministers and an MP , whose names figure on the
documents seized from Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijayabaskar's
residence on Friday as recipients of`90 crore for bribing voters in the
rescinded RK Nagar byelection.
“The entire `90 crore, as per the
records seized by us, was routed through six state ministers and a Rajya
Sabha MP to the people down below in their party (AIADMK (Amma) fac
tion) to distribute among the
RK Nagar voters. We may have to summon all of them for questioning to
probe the money trail,“ said a senior I-T official.
Meanwhile, on Monday , Vijayabaskar, actor Sarathku mar and former AIADMK MP C Rajendran appeared before income tax officials, responding to the summons served on them by the I-T investigation wing. Though summons was served on MGR Medical University vice-chancellor C S Geethalakshmi also, she did not appear before the officials.
In a related development, I-T officials raided Akash Lodge in Flower Bazaar on Monday evening to quiz a few relatives of Vijayabaskar who were staying there. “All the three persons were questioned separately . Vijayabaskar and Rajendran were let off after five hours. Sarathkumar was grilled for almost eight hours. They were asked to explain about the source of money and the contents of the documents seized during the I-T raids. Geethalakshmi will be served another summons to appear before us,“ said the official.
The health minister reached the I-T office around 11:00 am on Monday and left around 3:50 pm. “I cooperated with the I-T officials. I have not been told to appear before them again,“ said Vijayabaskar to media personnel outside the I-T office.
But I-T officials said the minister did not give convincing replies to many queries. “We will be calling him again after a few days as he did not come to the office with any preparation,“ said another official.
“We confronted him with all the documents we seized from his Chennai house, MLA hostel, a hotel in Egmore, his house in Pudukottai district and other premises,“ the official said. Vijayabaskar was also questioned about his proximity and business association with sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy . The minister, as per I-T officials, was a silent partner in Reddy's firm SRS Mines.
Sarathkumar was questioned about the transactions that allegedly happened during the dinner meeting with T T V Dhinakaran and Vijayabaskar in the city on Thursday . “The actor was not able to answer most of the questions and that is why it took more time. We will be asking him to appear once again in the other few days,“ said the official.
Meanwhile, on Monday , Vijayabaskar, actor Sarathku mar and former AIADMK MP C Rajendran appeared before income tax officials, responding to the summons served on them by the I-T investigation wing. Though summons was served on MGR Medical University vice-chancellor C S Geethalakshmi also, she did not appear before the officials.
In a related development, I-T officials raided Akash Lodge in Flower Bazaar on Monday evening to quiz a few relatives of Vijayabaskar who were staying there. “All the three persons were questioned separately . Vijayabaskar and Rajendran were let off after five hours. Sarathkumar was grilled for almost eight hours. They were asked to explain about the source of money and the contents of the documents seized during the I-T raids. Geethalakshmi will be served another summons to appear before us,“ said the official.
The health minister reached the I-T office around 11:00 am on Monday and left around 3:50 pm. “I cooperated with the I-T officials. I have not been told to appear before them again,“ said Vijayabaskar to media personnel outside the I-T office.
But I-T officials said the minister did not give convincing replies to many queries. “We will be calling him again after a few days as he did not come to the office with any preparation,“ said another official.
“We confronted him with all the documents we seized from his Chennai house, MLA hostel, a hotel in Egmore, his house in Pudukottai district and other premises,“ the official said. Vijayabaskar was also questioned about his proximity and business association with sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy . The minister, as per I-T officials, was a silent partner in Reddy's firm SRS Mines.
Sarathkumar was questioned about the transactions that allegedly happened during the dinner meeting with T T V Dhinakaran and Vijayabaskar in the city on Thursday . “The actor was not able to answer most of the questions and that is why it took more time. We will be asking him to appear once again in the other few days,“ said the official.
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