TN: Selvaperunthagai’s claims ‘baseless’, says IT Dept​

Chennai, April 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai on Tuesday faced a sharp rebuttal from the Income Tax Department, which termed his allegations of harassment by officials as “entirely baseless and factually incorrect.” ​

In a detailed press release, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said it had examined claims made by Selvaperunthagai in a social media post dated April 20, in which he alleged that Income Tax officials, under the pretext of searching, had unlawfully confined him within his constituency and prevented him from participating in election-related activities. ​

The Congress leader had also reiterated these allegations during media interactions that day. ​

Rejecting the claims, the Department clarified that no search, survey, or enforcement action was carried out against Selvaperunthagai on April 20 or at any time in the recent past. ​

It further stated that no action was taken that could have restricted his movement. The Department also dismissed reports that his residence in Kilpauk, Chennai, had been searched, asserting that no premises linked to him were covered under any Income Tax proceedings. ​

Explaining the context, the CBDT said limited verification exercises were conducted in certain areas of the Sriperumbudur constituency based on specific intelligence inputs regarding suspected movement of unaccounted cash. These checks, it noted, were routine and carried out in coordination with the appropriate authorities.​

Crucially, the Department emphasised that these verification activities were not connected in any manner to Selvaperunthagai and did not involve or affect him in any capacity. It added that the exercises did not yield any findings warranting further action. ​

Taking serious note of what it described as false and misleading statements, the Income Tax Department said the matter has been reported to the Election Commission of India. ​

It also confirmed that a complaint has been lodged with the Chennai Police Commissioner, seeking initiation of appropriate legal proceedings for the dissemination of false information and making defamatory allegations against a government department. ​

The clarification comes at a time of heightened political activity in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Assembly elections, with authorities intensifying monitoring to curb the movement of unaccounted money during the campaign period.

Source: IANS