The directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday registered a case against former state intelligence chief, ADGP M.S. Jaffar Sait, his wife and daughter, and raided premises belonging to him and his associates, who included the son of Governor S.S. Barnala and son of PA of ex-chief minister M. Karunanidhi.
The raids followed complaints of undue favour received by Sait from the previous DMK regime in getting TNHB plots under the government discretionary quota.
The directorate has registered a case against Sait under sections relating to cheating, criminal conspiracy and the prevention of corruption Act.
The DVAC sleuths also raided the Mandapam refugee camp office where Mr Sait is posted as special officer by the AIADMK government besides the house of his father-in-law in Periyakulam, in Theni.
The agency also searched Burnas international private limited in Vepery, run by Governor’s son Jasjith Singh and one Najimudeen. Raids were also conducted at Landmark Constructions in T. Nagar, owned by Najimudeen. A
nother DVAC team went to the Defence Colony house of Durga Sankar, son of K. Rajamanickam, former PA of ex-chief minister M. Karunanidhi.
The police FIR said Sait allegedly got allotted a TNHB plot at Tiruvanmiyur by suppressing some information and he had later entered into an agreement with a private construction firm for further development of the property.
“Our teams also raided the houses of A.V. Jaishankar in West Mambalam, Balraj Johnson at Tiruvanmiyur, Kasthuri Raj in Anna Nagar and Najimudeen in Egmore. All these people were believed to be associates of the police officer”, a member of the raid-team said.
“We have seized a good number of documents from the various places we raided”, another DVAC official told this newspaper. Sait was not available for comment.
None of top cop aides spared
The simultaneous raids at multiple locations of people who were close associates of ADGP M.S. Jaffar Sait seems to be a meticulously planned operation of the vigilance and anti-corruption sleuths.
The police knocked on the doors of A.V. Jaishankar, a close friend of Mr Sait, at his West Mambalam residence.
The DVAC authorities conducted searches at the house in Tiruvanmiyur belong to Balraj Johnson, who is a college mate of Mr Sait from his Madurai days. Another friend of the ADGP, C. Kasthuri Raj of Anna Nagar, who is into construction business, was also raided.
Police sources said the three persons have been closely associated with Mr Sait for long hence their premises were raided.
The raid at Najimudeen’s residence on Ethiraj Road raised eyebrows since he is an all-powerful person at Raj Bhavan, sources said. A close friend and business partner of Jasjit Singh, a son of Governor S.S. Barnala, Najimudeen has an enormous clout in political and bureaucratic circles.
Academicians often complain about his interference in the affairs of various universities in the state. Police sources said Mr Najimudeen came on their radar following his close association with the senior police officer.
The house of Durga Shankar, son of retired IAS officer and one of the secretaries to the former chief minister K. Rajamanickam, was raided since he and Mr Sait have been promoting residential apartments through joint venture in Tiruvanmiyur.
The Land Mark Construction company has been carrying out construction at the land of Mr Sait and Mr Shankar.