PUDUKKOTTAI: Houses of close-aide of an AIADMK former minister were raided by the sleuths of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) at Pudukkottai on Wednesday.
Officials of DVAC conducted raids at six locations at the premises of V Muruganandam (47) who is an office assistant, in the office of the assistant director (audit) in the rural development and Panchayat raj department, Pudukkottai. He was found to have amassed disproportionate assets worth Rs 15.73 crores, as per the FIR. The raids were conducted on the basis of an FIR filed on Tuesday evening.
Based on these findings, the raids were conducted at the residences of the accused and his two brothers and their office premises. The raids began at 7 am on Wednesday and continued till night. Vijay Palace, a commercial space in Pudukkottai, residences in Charles Nagar, Vettanviduthi were among the locations raided. Six teams from Pudukkottai, Sivagangai and Tiruchy conducted the raids.
The FIR has been filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act by G Imayavaramban, DSP, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Pudukkottai.
The FIR states that Muruganandam who hails from a modest background and works in the rural department, was found to have amassed several assets from January 1,2017 to June 30, 2020. The enquiry and investigations were conducted for this period, said police.
His wife, M Gandhimathi (38), who is the village panchayat president of Mullankuruchi is also an accused. The FIR states that Muruganandam purchased house sites in his wife's name in various places in Pudukkottai town and agricultural land in Pudukkottai district. He purchased assets worth Rs. 12.83 crores from 2017 to 2020.
He has amassed disproportionate assets worth Rs 15.73 crores in this period, which is 1260% of his regular income.
Sources said that his two brothers, Palanivel and Ravichandran, who are government contractors, were also involved. Sources said that the raids are a follow-up of the raids conducted at the premises of a former AIADMK minister more than a month back. The accused and his brothers are said to be close aides of the minister. Sources added that based on the information gathered at the previous raids, the current raids were conducted.