Chennai, June 20 (IANS) A team of police officials from Karur district visited the Chennai residence of senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Tamil Nadu Electricity and Excise Minister V. Senthil Balaji on Saturday, triggering intense speculation in political circles amid a series of ongoing investigations involving the former minister.

According to sources, the police team arrived at Senthil Balaji’s residence in MRC Nagar and conducted inquiries. However, Senthil Balaji was reportedly not present at the house when the officials arrived. Sources further indicated that the police were also attempting to trace his brother, Ashok, as part of the inquiry.

The unexpected visit has generated considerable political interest, particularly because authorities have not disclosed the specific case or complaint under which the inquiry was conducted. Neither the Karur district police nor the state police headquarters issued an official statement explaining the purpose of the visit.

Senthilbalaji, one of the DMK’s prominent leaders from western Tamil Nadu, has been facing scrutiny from multiple investigative agencies over the past few years. Several cases and inquiries relating to his tenure in public office are currently under investigation.

Among the most significant is the alleged cash-for-jobs scam, which has been under investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency had earlier conducted searches of properties linked to the former minister as part of its probe.

The ED has also conducted raids across Tamil Nadu in connection with alleged irregularities and corruption in the functioning of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac), while the Income Tax Department recently searched premises associated with several of his close aides.

In addition, allegations of irregularities in the procurement of transformers during Senthil Balaji’s tenure as Electricity Minister have come under scrutiny. Investigators are examining claims that procurement-related transactions involving nearly Rs 400 crore may have resulted in financial losses to the state exchequer.

More recently, another controversy emerged after hard disks containing important records were reported missing from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board headquarters on Anna Salai in Chennai. Based on a complaint, Chintadripet police registered a case and launched an investigation into the disappearance of the storage devices and the data they contained.

Against this backdrop, Saturday’s visit by the Karur police has fuelled fresh speculation about possible developments in one of the several cases linked to the former minister. Officials, however, have remained tight-lipped, and the exact reason behind the inquiry remains unclear.

–IANS

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