As many as 42 properties in Coimbatore district, associated with former Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani, came under the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC)’s scanner on Tuesday as part of the State-wide searches.
According to the police, the searches commenced around 7 a.m. Following the news of the raids, hundreds of AIADMK cadre gathered outside the closed gates of Mr. Velumani’s residence in Sugunapuram, Kuniamuthur, and women cadre staged a dharna, raising slogans condemning Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the DMK government.
Associates’ properties
Of the 42 properties, 24 are within the limits of the Coimbatore City police, according to sources. These include Mr. Velumani’s Kuniamuthur residence, his brother S.P. Anbarasan’s residence in Kovaipudur, properties associated with accused K. Chandraprakash and R. Chandrasekar, such as premises of KCP Engineers Private Limited in Peelamedu and Meena Estate and Hotel Vaidurya on Geetha Hall Road. Besides, the residence of Jesu Robert Raja, a contractor registered with the Coimbatore Corporation, along with the properties of a few officials were also searched on Tuesday, said sources.
In the limits of the Coimbatore district police, DVAC sleuths swooped down on 11 properties in Vadavalli, Thondamuthur, Madukkarai and Anamalai, sources said. These included raids on the residence of Shanmugaraja, a relative of Mr. Velumani, in Madukkarai.
Around 11.30 a.m., an accused, Mr. Chandraprakash, complained of cardiac illness during the raids, following which he was hospitalised at a private hospital on Avinashi Road. He was admitted to the critical care unit, and his condition is stable.
Following the arrival of eight AIADMK MLAs and hundreds of party cadre outside Mr. Velumani’s residence in Kuniamuthur to condemn the raids, the Coimbatore City police deployed nearly 650 police personnel in and around the area to prevent untoward incidents. City Police Commissioner Deepak M. Damor, along with two Deputy Commissioners of Police — T. Jayachandran (Law and Order) and E.S. Uma (Crime) — camped outside the residence, along with other police officers, to monitor the situation, police sources said.
Around 6 p.m., DVAC sleuths left Mr. Velumani’s residence in Kuniamuthur, after completing the searches, which lasted for over 11 hours.
