The Income Tax Department has launched a series of searches at over 40 locations linked to DMK Member of Parliament, S Jagathrakshakan, in Chennai. These raids, which included searches at educational institutions, were carried out without disclosing specific details.
The move has received strong criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who also serves as the President of the ruling DMK party. He condemned the searches as an abuse of authority and accused the Union BJP Government of engaging in vindictive politics. In a statement, Chief Minister Stalin emphasized that such actions constitute a misuse of independent investigating agencies for political purposes and an assault on democracy.
Stalin highlighted recent events involving opposition leaders, including the arrest of AAP MP Sanjay Singh and the raid on DMK MP Jagathrakshakan’s residence, as examples of the government’s alleged political maneuvering.
He pointed out that the Supreme Court had recently cautioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to maintain transparency and fairness in its actions. However, it appears that the government is will disregard the principles of the rule of law and democracy, he added.
Previous investigations on S Jagathrakshakan:
Jagathrakshakan represents Arakkonam in the Lok Sabha. Official declarations have noted a significant increase in his assets. Those assets grew from 5 Crore in 2009 to 70 crores in 2011. He is the founder of the Chennai-based Accord Group. It has interests in various sectors, including Hospitality, Pharmaceuticals, Liquor Manufacturing, and Education. In the realm of education, he owns several colleges under the Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER) trust.
The Times of India conducted a past investigation in June 2009. The investigation revealed that one of the medical colleges of Jagathrakshakan had allegedly collected 20 lakh rupees for MBBS admissions. This action was purportedly in violation of both Supreme Court regulations and state legislation.