After Kanimozhi house raid, I-T officials say ‘false tip’

Thoothukudi: A group of 10 income tax officials, including a woman officer, barged into the Thoothukudi residence of Kanimozhi at around 8.35 pm on Tuesday to “verify allegations of cash being stashed there,” sources said.

Ms Kanimozhi, DMK lawmaker and the sister of party chief M.K. Stalin, is the candidate for the Tuticorin seat. It was alleged that “lots of cash” was stashed on the first floor of her house in Thoothukudi, sources said.

IT sources, however, said later that it was a “false tip” and they drew a blank. No case has been registered.

One of Kanimozhi’s personal assistants, Manu, was giving an interview to a television channel when the officials arrived. One of the officials grabbed the mobile phone of the TV reporter and erased the video he had recorded. Kanimozhi’s personal assistants, Thoothukudi MLA and district secretary Geetha Jeevan and all others, including party workers, were sent out during the raid.

Another team of IT officials conducted simultaneous search at the adjacent house, where Ms Kanimozhi was said to be taking rest after completing her last day of campaigning in Kovilpatti in her Thoothukudi constituency.

“Crores and crores of rupees are kept in the house of Tamilisai Soundararajan’s (state BJP chief) residence, why no raids there? Modi is using IT, CBI, judiciary and now Election Commission to interfere in the elections. They are doing this as they fear losing,” DMK chief Stalin said.

Elections for the state’s 39 Lok Sabha seats and 18 assembly seats will be held on Thursday, during the second phase.