Supporters of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister Senthil Balaji attacked four officials from the Income Tax (IT) department while they were carrying out raids in the houses of TASMAC contractors on Friday, May 27, in Tamil Nadu's Karur. The supporters blocked the IT officials and tried to prevent them from carrying out the raids. Reports said that the officials were able to resume their work after five hours with police protection.
One woman inspector from the IT department has been hospitalised after Friday’s alleged attack. Apart from that, three other people were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. According to sources from the IT department, the local police were not willing to register a complaint from the IT officials regarding the attack. In the police complaint, the officials alleged that workers from DMK tried to snatch their laptops, files and a copy of the warrant that is required to carry out the searches.
According to DT Next, IT officials came to Karur in the early hours of Friday to carry out raids in around ten establishments. As many as 150 officials from Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai and Dindigul came in 50 vehicles. According to reports, some of the places that were being searched were of close relatives of the DMK Minister Senthil Balaji. The searches were in connection with a 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.
The team went to Ramakrishnapuram to search the house of a TASMC contractor when a large group of supporters blocked the entrance and raised slogans. According to DT Next, the supporters demanded to see the ID card of a woman IT official which triggered an argument. During this argument, the woman allegedly assaulted a supporter who had to be rushed to the hospital as he had fainted.