Officials of Income Tax Department and Election Commission of India continued their crack down on illegal cash and gold in Tamil Nadu meant for bribing voters in the election scheduled for April 18.
The sleuths busted on Tuesday night an innovative style of money trafficking deployed by the leaders of VCK, a Dalit militant outfit contesting from two parliamentary constituencies in the State. The VCK is a constituent of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) .
Cash of Rs 2.1 crore hidden in secret chambers inside a Toyota Innova car was seized by the officials from Perambalur. The officials said they suspect the money was meant for distributing among the voters because there was no need for transport the same hidden in secret chambers built n the door panel and in the seats of the swanky car.
The seizure of the cash comes immediately after the raid on the residence and business premises of Durai Murugan, the DMK treasurer, on Monday and Tuesday yielded unaccounted cash of Rs 11.3 crore. Though Murugan and his son Kathir Anand, the DMK candidate from Vellore had said that they would approach the Madras High Court challenging the high- handed behaviour of the Income Tax officials, no petition has come for hearing .
Meanwhile, the DMK-led front was in for another shock on Wednesday as Karthikeyan nephew of MDMK leader Vaiko , came out in the open declaring support to the AIADMK and chief minister Edappadi Palaniswamy on Wednesday.
“The DMK is a big threat to the country as well as Tamil Nadu. We should not allow the DMK to come anywhere near the corridors of power,” Karthikeyan told journalists at Kovilpatti where the Chief Minister was campaigning for the NDA candidate. Karthikeyan is the son of Kanchana, Vaiko’s sister and was active in the MDMK politics.
The raids on the leaders of the opposition parties have rattled a section of political landscape in Tamil Nadu. N Gopalaswamy, former Chief Election Commissioner of India told The Pioneer that Tamil Nadu has the worst history of bribing voters. “Corruption has been institutionalised in the State which could be the only one State in the country where by-polls and even general election were rescinded because of massive corruption,” said Gopalaswamy.