‘Not a paisa seized’, says MK Stalin aide after 5 days of IT raids

Velu said his personal assistant, Subramani, was questioned for five days, which left him in tears. He said his driver faced four days of solitary questioning “even though his job is to drive my car and he gets a salary from the government”.

Velu said he was not angry at the I-T officers as they were “mere arrows fired by those with political agendas sitting somewhere else”.

He said his family complied with tax regulations and had cooperated with the inquiry.

Recalling a similar situation in 2021, Velu said: “They searched me in 2021, managed to prevent my campaigns for two days, but I managed to win with a margin of one lakh votes when we expected 50,000. This shows my unwavering standing with the public and my ability to withstand political pressure.”

He said his property holdings include 48 acres of land and a house in Chennai besides a property leased out for a medical college. Asked about Casa Grande and Appasamy, leading builders who were raided for alleged links with Velu, he claimed ignorance about their operations. “I do not know about Casa Grande. The only link to Appasamy is my occasional stay at their hotel in Coimbatore,” Velu said.

Velu was previously searched in March 2021, before the state elections, over alleged complaints of significant cash movement during the campaigns.

For many years, Velu has been regarded as one of the closest aides to Chief Minister M K Stalin. While party insiders consider him akin to a family member within the DMK’s first family, he was also among DMK ministers who faced numerous allegations during the party’s 2006-2011 regime.