It used to be the seat of power in Tamil Nadu when J Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister. Around 9.30 pm on Friday, three Income Tax officials entered the Veda Nilayam residence of the former CM.
As news of the I-T raid spread, the Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran faction started questioning why Jayalalithaa's house was being targeted.
Sources in the I-T department then told media that the raids were confined to the room that was used as an office by Jayalalithaa's long time personal secretary Poongundran. But later, sources revealed that Sasikala's room in the house too had been searched. This was the first time that Sasikala was directly being probed by the IT department.
Inside the Veda Nilayam house, there is a building adjacent to the main house, which was used by Jayalalithaa's staff. The building is also connected to the main house via a pathway.
Sources told TNM that Poongundran and other staff members had not come to Veda Nilayam in the past few days. The main house has been vacant ever since Sasikala was sentenced by the Supreme Court.
Poongundran had been questioned multiple times by the Income Tax department as searches were going on in more than 180 locations in TN. He had spent hours answering questions from the I-T department.
Around 10.30 pm, Sasikala's nephew Vivek Jayaraman reached the spot. Businesses owned by Vivek and his house had been raided for 5 days by the I-T department. Vivek's mother Ilaivarasi, who is currently in jail serving a sentence in the disproportionate assets case, used to live in Veda Nilayam with Jayalalithaa and Sasikala.
Sasikala's nephew Vivek Jayaraman reaches Poes Garden. Pics clicked by @anna_isaac pic.twitter.com/3D2EvNwVu6
— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) November 17, 2017
Speaking to media persons outside Veda Nilayam, Sasikala's counsel Rajasendur Pandian said that all of Sasikala's belongings were inside the house, and therefore it was a raid on Sasikala. "We have requested that I should be allowed inside as the counsel of Sasikala to be witness to the proceedings. Vivek Jayaraman is trying hard to get me inside so I can be a witness to the proceedings."
Reacting to the news, sidelined AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran tweeted, "EPS and OPS have mortgaged the party to stay in power, how many more betrayals can we expect from them?"
"Whatever the reason behind the I-T raids at Poes Gardens, this is a betrayal to Amma's atma. Edappadi and Panneerselvam are behind this betrayal," he tweeted.
தங்களின் ஆட்சியை, பதவியை காப்பாற்றிக்கொள்ள கழகத்தை அடகு வைத்த எடப்பாடியும் பன்னீரும் இன்னும் எத்தனை துரோகங்களை செய்யக் காத்திருக்கிறார்கள்..?
— TTV Dhinakaran (@TTVDhinakaran) November 17, 2017
போயஸ் கார்டனில் வருமான வரித்துறையினர் சோதனை நடத்துவதற்கு காரணம் எதுவாக இருந்தாலும், இது அம்மாவின் ஆன்மாவுக்கு செய்யப்படும் துரோகம். இந்த துரோகத்தின் பின்னணியில் எடப்பாடியும் பன்னீர்செல்வமும்தான் இருக்கிறார்கள்.
— TTV Dhinakaran (@TTVDhinakaran) November 17, 2017
Meanwhile, AIADMK MLA Kalai Rajan accused the BJP of orchestrating the raids. He said, "BJP is behind searches in Amma’s house. Arun Jaitley is behind this conspiracy. Amma’s house is a temple for us."