Chennai, July 29
The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Wednesday carried out simultaneous searches at multiple properties linked to former Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK leader V. Senthil Balaji in Karur district as part of its investigation into a series of corruption cases registered against him.
The searches commenced around 7 a.m. at Senthil Balaji’s residence in Rameswarapatti near Karur and extended to several other locations associated with him, his relatives and close associates. More than 10 DVAC officials, supported by police personnel, participated in the operation, which continued for several hours.
According to officials, the searches covered five locations, including Senthil Balaji’s ancestral house near Manmangalam, the residence of his aide Subramani, the house of DMK functionary Bhaskaran, and the homes of Karthi and Ramesh in the Kodainagar area. Investigators examined documents, electronic records and other materials believed to be relevant to the ongoing inquiries.
The raids come amid multiple corruption investigations involving the former minister. The cases include allegations related to the cash-for-government jobs scam, the alleged ₹1,000-crore irregularities in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), and the alleged ₹397-crore corruption in transformer procurement. These cases are being investigated by different agencies.
Apart from the corruption cases, Senthil Balaji is also an accused in a separate case alleging a conspiracy to destabilise the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. As part of the conditions imposed while granting anticipatory bail, he and his younger brother Ashok Kumar have been directed to appear daily before the Triplicane Police Station in Chennai. The investigation in that case is being supervised by senior police officers under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Jayachandran.
Officials said Wednesday’s searches were aimed at collecting documentary and digital evidence that could aid the corruption investigations. The DVAC has not yet issued an official statement on the outcome of the raids or disclosed whether any documents, electronic devices or valuables were seized. Further details are expected after the search operations are completed.
