Chennai: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti
Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday carried out searches at the residences
of former DMK minister M R K Pannerselvam and educational
institutions run by him at several places in connection with
charges of disproportionate assets against him.
"On specific information, DVAC conducted an enquiry
against Pannerselvam for accumulating assets disproportionate
to his known sources of income while he was holding the post
of minister for health," DVAC said in a press release.
Searches were conducted at the residence of the minister
and his relatives in Kattumannar Koil, MRK Institute of
Technology and MRK Polytechnic in Nattarmangalam, MRK College
of Arts and Science, Chandravadanam Nursing College,
Chandravadanam Teacher Training School, Chandravadanam
Textiles, it said.
The searches were conducted at 11 places in Chennai,
Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts.
A case was yesterday registered against the former
minister under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Meanwhile, reacting to the searches, Pannerselvam told
agency that the AIADMK government was foisting cases against him.
He denied the DVAC claim that some documents had been
seized and said they had found about Rs two lakh cash from an
engineering college, which was tuition fees paid by students.
Pannerselvam, who was attending a party meeting at Veppur
village, 100 km from Cuddalore, in connection with the coming
local body polls, rushed to his native village Muttam upon
coming to know about the searches.
Pannerselvam is the fifth former DMK minister against
whom action has been taken by the Jayalalithaa government
after it came to power in May. Four of them -- K Ponmudi,
Veerapandi S Arumugam, K N Nehru and N K K P Raja -- have been
arrested under land grabbing charges by the AIADMK regime in
the crackdown on land grabbing.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 13:52