Chennai, Dec 20 (IANS): The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) is conducting fresh searches at 14 places related to former Electricity Minister of Tamil Nadu and AIADMK leader P. Thangamani.

The searches, which commenced on Monday morning, are being conducted at Erode, Salem, and Namakkal, and all the places are related to the former minister. The DVAC officers are conducting searches at one place in Salem, 10 in Namakkal and three in Erode.

The officials said that the searches were being conducted in a case related to the disproportionate assets of the former minister. The agency had conducted searches at 69 places associated with P. Thangamani on December 15.

The DVAC had registered a disproportionate assets case against the former Minister P. Thangamani, his son T. Dharanidharan and his daughter-in-law Shanthi.

In the FIR registered by the agency, it was mentioned that the former minister has amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 4.5 crore above his known sources of income between May 2016 and March 2020. P. Thangamani was a minister during this period.

The former minister was booked under Sections 13(2),13(1) (b), and 13(1) (e).

Thangamani was a minister for Electricity, Excise, and Prohibition during May 2016 and May 2021 in the previous AIADMK government.

AIADMK leaders and former Chief Ministers, Edappadi K. Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam, criticised the DVAC action against P. Thangamani and said that the raids were part of political vindictiveness.

It may be noted that P. Thangamani is the fifth former minister who has been subjected to DVAC searches and raids. The others are M.R. Vijayabaskar, C. Vijayabhaskar, S.P. Velumani, and K.C. Veeramani, all AIADMK leaders.