Former AIADMK Minister acquired properties in the name of partnership firms, says FIR

CHENNAI: M R Vijayabhaskar, former AIADMK Minister, acquired properties in the name of two partnership firms, a First Information Report lodged against him by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption has said.

Vijayabhaskar, an AIADMK strongman hailing from Karur region in Tamil Nadu became a Minister for the first time in May 2016 when late J Jayalalithaa retained power that year following a win in Assembly polls.

The former Minister, who now faces a disproportionate assets case, continued to hold his transport department portfolio till the AIADMK lost power in the recently held Assembly polls and he too was defeated. Jayalalithaa died in December 2016.

After registering the case against him, vigilance officials conducted searches days ago in several premises connected to him and details of the FIR have now emerged.

According to the FIR, during the 2016-21 check period when Vijayabhaskar held office, he "was in possession of pecuniary resources and properties" in his name and that of his wife to the tune of Rs 2.68 crore, disproportionate to his known sources of income.

"The extent of disproportion is 55 per cent of the total income during the said check period." The FIR alleged it is reliably learnt that the former Minister acquired eight properties in the name of two partnership firms in which he and his wife are partners, "which clearly raised reasonable suspicion that the said assets are acquired by Vijayabhaskar in the name of the partnership firms in which he is a partner."

Vijayabhaskar's brother, Sekar, "by representing" the two partnership firms for acquiring the properties and holding them in the name of these firms "aided and abetted" the former Minister, according to the FIR.

The former Minister's wife and brother are the two other accused persons in the disproportionate assets case, the first after DMK assumed office in May this year.

On Thursday, vigilance officials carried out searches in about 20 locations related to Vijayabhaskar in connection with this case.

The AIADMK had dubbed the DVAC action as "political vendetta" and said the DMK government, "which came to power on false promises", was not focussing on public welfare, but on "vindictive action," against the opposition.

The main opposition party had also alleged that the DMK government had taken up the 'cheap political weapon' of filing false cases against AIADMK workers.