Nehru trail leads to real estate firms

CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) conducted raids at 13 residential and real estate office premises of former Transport Minister K N Nehru and his three brothers across the State and have reportedly seized incriminating documents and locker keys from his residences at Chennai and Tiruchy.Based on what the department called ‘credible information’ that Nehru had acquired movable and immovable property disproportionate to his known sources of income during May 2006-May 2011, 13 DVAC teams headed by three superintendents of police conducted surprise raids at the premises of Nehru and his brothers in Tiruchy, Lalgudi, Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruppur.A senior police officer attached to the DVAC said the raids were conducted after preliminary enquiry into the information received, which turned out to be a cognizable offence of possession of assets disproportionate to Nehru’s known sources of income.“We seized incriminating documents at many places across the state and also seized bank locker keys from his residences at Chennai and Tiruchy,” said the officer. He said the team would verify the documents and open the locker on Saturday. A special team conducted raids at four places in Chennai, including the house and offices of Nehru’s brother Ravichandran. Two offices belonged to True Value Homes India Pvt Ltd at MRC Nagar and R A Puram, and another one, TAVAS Constructions Private Ltd, was at Alwarpet. “All the properties in Chennai are real estate firms,” said the officer.