'Sasikala family to be blamed for IT raids at Jayalalithaa's residence'

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar on Saturday blamed jailed AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala and her family for the Income Tax (IT) raids at late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's residence late on Friday night.

J. Deepa, niece of Jayalalithaa, also termed the raid a conspiracy of the Sasikala family. She said the IT officials did not inform her about the raid. She is a legal heir of Jayalalithaa.

Speaking to reporters here, Minister Jayakumar said it is "painful" to note the IT raids at Jayalalithaa's residence.

"It is the family of Sasikala and T.T.V. Dinakaran to be blamed for the IT raid," Jayakumar said.

Jayakumar said Dinakaran is blaming Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam for political gains.

Responding to the media in Tuticorin (600km from here), Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said: "The raids were done on the basis of specific information and not for political vendetta."

On Friday night, IT officials recovered a laptop, a desktop and four pen drives from two rooms used by Sasikala at Jayalalithaa's residence here, said a senior official.

"We received an input that some important electronic storage devices are going to be clandestinely removed from two rooms used by Sasikala in Veda Nilayam (Jayalalithaa's residence)," the IT official told IANS preferring anonymity on Friday.

According to him, it was a "limited mission". "We are not searching the entire premises," he had said.

The raid comes days after IT officials carried out a massive search operation at the residences and premises of Sasikala's kin and their business associates and unearthed Rs 1,430 crore of tax evasion.

The Friday IT search comes 21 years after an earlier search at Jayalalithaa's residence.