The Income Tax (IT) department on Friday, May 26, commenced searches across 40 locations in Tamil Nadu, which are primarily residences or offices of government contractors who are allegedly linked to Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji. Reports suggest that close relatives of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) minister are also among those whose residences are being searched. The searches — underway in Chennai, Karur, and Coimbatore — are in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam involving Senthil Balaji, back when he was a Transport Minister in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government from 2011 to 2015.
#WATCH | IT raids across Tamil Nadu in around 40 locations at various Government contractors' residences and offices who have alleged connection with Minister Senthil Balaji. Raids are currently underway in Chennai, Karur and other places. More details awaited: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2023
(Visuals… pic.twitter.com/vSM3gYYxiQ
Videos and photographs of supporters of the political leader clashing with the IT officials, vandalising their cars, and allegedly tearing the search warrant outside the house of the minister’s brother V Ashok Kumar in Karur have surfaced on Twitter. Following the clashes, Karur Superintendent of Police E Sundaravathanam told the media that the IT department had not informed the police prior to the search, due to which they couldn’t deploy the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for protection.
#WATCH | Clash breaks out between DMK workers and IT officials, who came to search the premises of Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji's brother Ashok, in Karur district. pic.twitter.com/D07qHz86c3
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2023
Taking to Twitter, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai alleged that “DMK goons” are in support of the 'cash for jobs' scam. “TN CM Thiru MK Stalin should instruct his partymen to behave responsibly and remind them that we don’t live in the 60s," he added.
IT officials manhandled, vehicles vandalised by DMK goons in support of Cash for Job Scam Minister Senthil Balaji & his brother.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) May 26, 2023
TN CM Thiru @mkstalin should instruct his partymen to behave responsibly & remind them that we don't live in the 60s. pic.twitter.com/eQHu4zfVaL
On May 16, the Supreme Court had set aside a Madras High Court order directing a fresh probe into the multi-crore transport corporation job scam, instead ordering the ongoing investigations to continue. Several crores of rupees in bribes were allegedly collected from candidates aspiring for jobs as drivers, conductors, and mechanics during Balaji's term as the Transport Minister. The candidates were later allegedly defrauded.
In 2015, a complaint was filed against Senthil Balaji and others for taking bribes from job aspirants by falsely promising them jobs in the State Transport Corporation run by the Tamil Nadu government. The whistleblowers in the case were the job seekers themselves who lodged multiple complaints of cheating against the then Transport Minister and others, resulting in the registration of an FIR against them with the Chennai Police Central Crime Branch (CCB).
After the Chennai CCB pinned the blame on low level officials of the Transport department, the dissatisfied victims approached the Madras High Court seeking a detailed probe. On the directions of the HC, the CCB conducted a thorough probe and charged 47 persons, including Senthil Balaji, his brother V Ashok Kumar, brother-in-law Karthik, former managing directors of transport corporations, joint managing director, and others.