New Delhi: DMK leader M K Stalin has surrendered his imported Hummer before CBI which was on its trail as it was allegedly one of the illegal vehicles imported by a Hyderabad based businessman in violation of customs laws.
Sources said Stalin`s son Udayanidhi came to the Chennai office of the agency on Friday and handed over Sports Utility Vehicle Hummer which was imported in 2007 and registered in his name.
They said the car was one of the vehicles which were allegedly imported by Hyderabad businessman Alex C Joseph evading customs duties and sold to influential people at attractive rates.
In a nation-wide search operation in March, CBI had recovered at least 33 luxury vehicles from various places which were alleged to have been imported by Joseph in alleged violation of the laws.
The search by the CBI team at the residence of Stalin to look for a Hummer, just couple of days after DMK withdrew support from UPA Government, had sparked a political storm with the agency launching an internal inquiry to see if there were any procedural lapses in searches.
The sources said agency has booked a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence Officer Muruganandan who was allegedly acting in collusion with Joseph in the vehicle import racket.
They said Jospeh is still untraceable and agency is looking for him.
The CBI had seized 11 cars belonging to BCCI chief and India Cements promoter N Srinivasan as part of its raids in Chennai, sources said. The sources added that Srinivasan had allegedly evaded paying tax on the imported cars.
PTI
