Ex TN minister, kins being raided for amassing illicit wealth

Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu State Education Minister KP Anbazhagan and his relatives are being subjected to state Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption's raid (DVAC) on Thursday on a case of corruptoion and disproportionate acquisition of properties, IANS reported.

The raids, 57 places across the state, are performed following an FIR, registered by DVAC under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, which accused those named of corruption and acquisition of properties that are not proportionate to known income sources. FIR has named minister Anbhazhagan, his wife Malliga, sons Sasi Mohan, Chandra Mohan, and Chandra Mohan's wife, S. Vaishnavee.

The locations where the raid is going on include his native place, Dharmapuri and other places that belong to him and his kins at Salem and Chennai. A DVAC press release stated that a petition was filed before Madras High Court by N Krishnamoorthy. It sought the court to direct the DVAC to probe Krishnamoorthy's allegations in his pettion regarding KP Anbalagan's accumulation of wealth in his name and the names of his relatives along with others. The petition alleges that Anbalagan illicitly amassed Rs 11,32,95,75.

KP Anbazhgan had served the higher education portfolio for Tamil Nadu in the previous AIADMK administration during 2016-2021. The raid on his properties is not a first in the present MK Stalin's DMK government as many other former ministers of AIADMK were subjected to it already. They include MR Vijayabhaskar, C Vijayabaskar, SP Velumni, KC Veeramani and Thangamani.

However, AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami that the raids were out of political rivalry and that his party could not be intimidated by such petty moves.