Raids were conducted at Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao's home on Wednesday
Highlights
- Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary's son Vivek Rao's office raided by taxmen
- Income tax raids at bureaucrat's home and 7 other locations on Wednesday
- Officials claim seizing 30 lakh and 5 kg gold from Rao's home yesterday
A day after raids at the Chennai home and office of Tamil Nadu's topmost bureaucrat, Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao for nearly 24-hours, his son's office has been raided this morning.
Searches at Vivek Rao's office at Chamiers Road are still continuing. Sources say the taxmen are investigating the source of funding for the six companies that he established in 2012.
On Wednesday, Income Tax officials claim to have recovered nearly Rs. 30 lakh in cash and five kilograms of gold during raids at the bureaucrat's official residence in the city's upscale Anna Nagar locality and seven other locations, including at homes of his son Vivek Rao and some relatives in Chennai and Chittoor in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Simultaneous raids began at about 5:30 am on Wednesday were linked to a tax evasion investigation against Mr Rao's son Vivek.
Earlier this month, taxmen found over 100 kg of gold, Rs. 96 crore in banned 500- and 1,000-rupee notes and Rs. 34 crore in new currency notes in raids at the homes of three Tamil Nadu businessmen, one of whom, J Sekhar Reddy, allegedly has business links with the Mr Rao's son. Mr Reddy was arrested on Wednesday.
Sources said documents found at Mr Reddy's house may have led to the raids yesterday.
P Rama Mohana Rao, a 1985 batch officer, was appointed as the Chief Secretary in June this year. Earlier, he was posted in the Chief Minister's office and was seen as an officer with much political clout.
(with inputs from PTI)