CHENNAI: In a major development in the Rs 150-crore property tax scam in the Madurai Corporation, Mayor Indrani’s husband, Ponvasanth, has been arrested along an Assistant Commissioner.
According to a Daily Thanthi report, police are planning to take Ponvasanth from Chennai to Madurai for further questioning.
The scam orchestrated by officials of the corporation, which allegedly involved reducing property taxes for around 150 buildings from a commercial rate to a residential tariff, resulted in a revenue loss of Rs 150 crore.
The scam came to light after AIADMK members complained about irregularities in the property tax assessment at a council meeting recently and took the issue to the attention of the Corporation Commissioner.
When the scam was exposed, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin ordered five zonal chairpersons to resign, while two chairpersons of standing committees were suspended.
With the latest arrests, the total number of people taken into custody in the case has risen to 17.