CHENNAI: Officials of Tamil Nadu’s Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) carried out searches at 28 locations linked to former AIADMK minister KC Veeramani on charges of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Veeramani is the third leader of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to face a corruption probe after MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government came to power in May this year. Veeramani hasn’t spoken on the corruption charges levelled against him but his supporters promptly gathered outside his house to protest the raids. His party also issued a statement, complaining that the raids were prompted by “political vendetta”.
The First Information Report (FIR) registered by DVAC on Wednesday said Veeramani was “involved in corrupt activities” and acquired assets disproportionate to his income by 654 per cent between 2016 and 2021 when he was a minister of commercial taxes in the AIADMK government.
“Searches are ongoing in 28 places across the state and including four in Chennai,” a senior DVAC official said on conditions of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The two-time legislator won the 2011 and 20116 assembly elections from the Jolarpet seat in Tirupathur district 200 km north of Chennai. KC Veermani, however, lost the seat to his DMK rival in this year’s assembly elections by a little less than 1,100 votes.
{{/usCountry}}The two-time legislator won the 2011 and 20116 assembly elections from the Jolarpet seat in Tirupathur district 200 km north of Chennai. KC Veermani, however, lost the seat to his DMK rival in this year’s assembly elections by a little less than 1,100 votes.
{{/usCountry}}Arappor Iyakkam, a non-profit which first filed a complaint against Veeramani, alleged that the AIADMK leader started indulging in corruption in 2011 when he first became a minister in the J Jayalalithaa government and oversaw departments of school education and Tamil culture apart from holding additional charge as health minister.
It estimated that he holds disproportionate assets worth ₹76 crore between 2011 and 2021.
In the FIR, the DVAC said investigators decided to focus on his second term since he held a charge of the sensitive commercial taxes department. During this period, his assets increased from ₹25.9 crore to ₹56.6 crore with his income estimated to be ₹4.3 crore and expenses at ₹2.56 crore, the FIR said.
The FIR said Veermani acquired properties and pecuniary resources in his name and in the name of his mother, C Maniyamal.
The FIR, which accuses him of criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act, said he was estimated to have acquired assets worth ₹28.7 crore, “which works out to be 654% more than his total income.
The AIADMK has already formed an internal legal committee to help party leaders fight cases registered against him by the DMK government.
Former transport minister MR Vijayabhaskar was the first prominent AIADMK leader to be raided by the DVAC team in July this year. DVAC officials had then claimed to have seized ₹25.5 lakh in cash, sale deeds, and other documents.
In August, DVAC went after AIADMK heavyweight and former municipal administration minister SP Velumani, who is known to be close to former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Last year, the DMK, while still in the opposition, submitted a list of corruption charges to outgoing Governor Banwrilal Purohit against half a dozen AIADMK ministers, and later in the runup to the assembly elections, promised to establish a special court to try such graft cases.