Actor-legislator Vijayakanth, AIADMK's Pannerselvam face tax raids

Chennai, Jan 23 (IANS) Income tax authorities in Tamil Nadu Tuesday raided the home of actor-legislator Vijayakanth here, prompting his fans to burn pictures of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. They threw stones at the police who tried to control the situation.

Raids were also conducted on the premises of Jeppiyar, the owner of the Sathybhama group of educational institutions in which Vijayakanth has interests, and O. Pannerselvam, AIADMK's deputy leader in the assembly.

Jeppiyar is the chairman of the Jeppiyar Education Trust and chancellor of the Sathyabhama Deemed University and also president of the Consortium of Self-Financing Professional, Arts and Science College in Tamil Nadu.

The AIADMK and Vijayakanth's DMDK termed the raids "politically motivated".

The raids targeted 11 places including several residences of private engineering college promoters. A director general-level official led the 400-strong tax officials' team. Incriminating documents indicating disproportionate assets were found in the raids, tax department officials said.

A team of the tax department arrived at 8.am. at Vijaykanth's residence in Saligramam on the city outskirts without any prior intimation, even as the actor was getting ready to attend the assembly session.

While sources in the department said the raids were part of a major drive against private engineering college promoters in the state, the fact that Vijayakanth and Panneerselvam were targeted made their parties condemn the raids.

The DMDK's Panruti Ramachandran alleged that those present at the Andla Azhagar Kalyana Mandapam - a marriage hall used generally as a headquarter for Vijaykanth's party - were also threatened by tax officials and police.

He said Vijayakanth's DMDK was the only party "independent of both the DMK and the AIADMK".

Raids were conducted also at the premises of Vijayakanth's brother-in-law and at the property of the party's youth wing secretary.

The Periyakulam residence of O. Panneerselvam also raided. Raids were also conducted at a business establishment of a courier service in Udumalpet.

This was the second round of raids after the DMK government came to power in May 2006.

In September last year, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) conducted searches at the residences of AIADMK leaders Paneerselvam and Anitha R. Radhakrishnan.