Chennai: The Income Tax (IT) Department has provisionally attached about 11 acres of land owned by V.N. Sudhakaran, the nephew of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s close aide V.K. Sasikala, in Siruthavoor village near here under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act.
Three months to go before VK Sasikala — the aide of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa — walks free, her assets to the tune of ₹ 1500 crore have been attached by the Income Tax department.
The department also reportedly attached the properties of Sasikala and her relatives in Kodanad near Ooty.
However, IT officials declined to comment when contacted for confirming the development.
In the order provisionally attaching the 11 acre 53 cents land owned by Sudhakaran, the IT Department has said the action is being taken to prevent him from transferring the property to another person.
As per the provisional attachment order, Sudhakaran is restrained from transferring or charging the properties until further orders.
Sasikala, Sudhakaran and another of her relatives Illavarasi are in a Bengaluru jail after being convicted in a corruption case.
A copy of the provisional order attaching Sudhakaran’s property in Siruthavoor has been sent to J. Deepak and J. Deepa, Jayalalihtaa’s nephew and niece, respectively.
In August this year, the IT Department is said to have attached 65 properties of Sasikala and her associates.
In 2017, the IT Department had raided 187 properties said to be linked to Sasikala and her relatives and unearthed alleged tax evasion of about Rs 1,430 crore.