Chennai, Nov 29 (PTI): Tamil Nadu vigilance officials on Tuesday conducted searches at seven premises of former DMK minister Pongalur N Palanisamy across the state in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

Officials of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption carried out searches at his premises and those of his relatives in Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, police sources said.

Palanisamy, a DMK strongman in Coimbatore district, was minister for Rural Industries during the DMK regime between 2006-11.

Several former DMK ministers and senior party functionaries have been facing the heat from the Jayalalithaa government on charges of either land grabbing or amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Former DMK ministers Veerapandi S Arumugam, K Ponmudy, K N Nehru, M R K Panneerselvam, T M Anbarasan, K P P Samy, Durai Murugan former MLA B Ranganathan, sitting MLA J Anbazhagan and those close to Union Minister M K Azhagiri in Madurai are among those who have faced action.