Hyderabad, June 1 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday conducted simultaneous searches at the residence and offices of former Union Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Y.S. Chowdary here.

The CBI officials from Bengaluru divided themselves in three teams and searched the Rajya Sabha member's residence and two offices, sources said.

The searches, which continued through the day, were apparently aimed at gathering more evidence in connection with the case registered against him earlier. The officials understood to have seized some documents and hard disks during the searches.

Electrical equipment manufacturer Best and Crompton Engineering Projects Ltd (BCEPL), allegedly linked to Chowdary, is facing the allegations of cheating the Andhra Bank to the tune of Rs 71 crore in 2017.

The agency had registered a case against the Chennai-based company and its five directors on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.

After the CBI served him a notice in April, Chowdary had said that he was not having any connection, knowledge or acquaintance with the company.

The TDP leader, who is an industrialist, had challenged the summons in a court, stating that he was neither a shareholder nor a director in the company.

Chowdary is considered a close aide of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu. He was Minister of State in Narendra Modi government before the TDP quit the NDA early last year.