Tamil Nadu: Income Tax Department Raids Underway In Around 40 Locations Connected To Minister Senthil Balaji

A raid by Income Tax (IT) department officials is underway in around 40 locations connected to Minister for Excise, Electricity and Prohibition, V Senthil Balaji, in cities like Chennai, Coimbatore and Karur.

The raid comes around a month after the IT department raid on G-Square, a real estate firm, which is alleged to be linked to the first-family of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and raids by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) regarding alleged corruption by TANGEDCO officials.

It is alleged that TASMAC stores charge Rs 10 extra while selling liquor bottles in order to pay the 'Karur team.' The Karur team is allegedly connected to Balaji.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai had recently demanded the removal of Balaji from the Cabinet due to the hooch tragedies in Villupuram and Chengalpattu and the order of the Supreme Court to the Crime Branch of the police and the ED to resume their investigations against him.

Annamalai said that if Balaji remains in the Cabinet, a fair investigation against him would not be possible.