The directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) officers on Friday raided 26 premises linked to Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislator KPP Baskar, his wife B Uma and other family members in a disproportionate assets case.
Baskar has been accused of amassing wealth of ₹4.72 crore (315%) more than his known sources of income.
Baskar was an MLA from Namakkal from 2011 to 2021 when the AIADMK had been governing Tamil Nadu. “During that period, he was a public servant…. Prior to 2011, he was doing transport business and his economic condition was not good,” the first information report (FIR) registered by DVAC read.
“The 1st accused (Baskar) has accumulated more assets by intentionally enriching himself illicitly during the period from 2016 to 2021 in his name and in the name of his family members,” the FIR read.
Baskar, a former legislator from the western region of Namakkal district, is said to be a close aide of former chief minister and AIADMK’s interim general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS). He is the eight AIADMK leader to be raided by the agency after the DMK formed the government in May 2021.
Since then the DVAC has filed cases of disproportionate assets against seven former AIADMK ministers – SP Velumani (two cases against the ex municipal administration minister), K P Anbazhagan (education), C Vijayabhaskar (health), M R Vijayabhaskar (transport), P Thangamani (electricity) and R Kamaraj (food) and KC Veeramani (commercial taxes).
{{/usCountry}}Since then the DVAC has filed cases of disproportionate assets against seven former AIADMK ministers – SP Velumani (two cases against the ex municipal administration minister), K P Anbazhagan (education), C Vijayabhaskar (health), M R Vijayabhaskar (transport), P Thangamani (electricity) and R Kamaraj (food) and KC Veeramani (commercial taxes).
{{/usCountry}}DVAC probe into bank account details and registration documents revealed that the accused possessed pecuniary resources and properties to the tune of ₹1,86,17,027.22 (over ₹18.61 million) in his name and that of his family members as on 28 April 2016 — at the beginning of the check period.
At the end of the check period, 15 March 2021, the main accused and his family had earned an income from lawful sources to the tune of ₹7,47,03,528 (over ₹77.7 million).
Stating that in total, the accused and members acquired ₹ 4,72,23,539 ( ₹47.22 million) which is disproportionate to the known sources of income, the DVAC said that this prima facie proves that they had illicitly enriched themselves during his time as an MLA. “The percentage of disproportionate assets is 315%,” the FIR said.
They were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on August 11 and subsequently officials raided the premises on Friday. The FIR has been submitted to Namakkal chief judicial magistrate.
During the investigations on Friday, searches were conducted across 30 places – 28 places in Namakkal and one place each in Madurai and in Tirupur. “The properties included residences of Baskar, his relatives and his close associates. Following the searches, DVAC sleuths identified four luxury cars, gold and silver jewellery, investments in cryptocurrencies worth ₹20 lakh, cash worth ₹26 lakh, foreign currencies worth ₹1 lakh, property documents, promissory notes, bank accounts, important information stored in computers. “The investigation of the case is under progress,” said a DVAC official.
Every time DVAC has swung into action, the AIADMK has described it as the ruling DMK government’s act of political vendetta. AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami took to share the same reaction on Friday. “They are planning and taking political revenge. These raids are reprehensible,” Palaniswami said. The DMK chose not to react.