Stalin seeks details of I-T raids post note ban

Citing WhatsApp messages, that have gone viral, on such raids conducted on the premises of a relative of state minister, the DMK Treasurer said that the message claimed that Rs 1,150 crore had been exchanged for new Rs 2,000, which was later seized from a Bangalore-based engineer’s home. “People have the right to know the authenticity of the message,” he said. “The information that money has been exchanged using 27 facilities including post offices and banks as well, has shocked the I-T officials. I-T department has released few isolated seizures here and there of new denominations. However, they are conspicuously silent over seizures done at relatives and other close aides of state ministers,” Stalin alleged.  

He pointed out that during the last Assembly elections, officials confiscated from Anbunathan’s house Rs 4.77 crore along with counting machines. “They also recovered an ambulance which was allegedly used for distributing money among the voters. Yet no further details were divulged by the authorities in this regard, the DMK Treasurer said.  Highlighting the case in which three containers had been seized by the police under suspicious manner for transporting Rs 570 crore, Stalin said that later I-T clarified the money belong to SBI but DMK approached the HC for CBI enquiry and the court had also ordered for the same. “However, at present there is no progress in the case. Therefore, the I-T department should release details of current accusation of Rs 1,150 crore exchange,” he said.   Meanwhile, the CPM secretary G Ramakrishnan said “demonetisation had taken over 100 lives across the country and common people were struggling to withdraw their own money.