Days after unfolding a series of raids at the properties of senior DMK leader EV Velu in Tiruvannamalai, the Income Tax department has on Friday stormed the residence of DMK President MK Stalin's daughter Senthamarai in Neelankarai on the outskirts of Chennai. The development has come when Tamil Nadu is just four days away from the crucial assembly polls. 

According to reports, the IT sleuths had arrived at the residence of Sentharamai and Sabareesan, Stalin's son-in-law, in the morning hours of Friday and launched a search. The Income Tax officials are conducting raids at four places connected to Stalin's daughter and son-in-law and also at the residence of the son of DMK's Anna Nagar candidate. 

The high-level raid drama in the circle of Stalin's family had shocked the DMK leaders ahead of the polls. The DMK leaders have been claiming that the Central ruling BJP is deploying the IT raids to threaten the party. Sabareesan has become one of the key leaders in the party and being close to the party's political strategist Prashant Kishor, he has been taking part in the decision-making drive of the party. He has been a part of Stalin's campaign in the polls against the Central and state ruling regimes. 

The reports say that apart from the residence in Neelankarai, the IT officials have been conducting raids in the office premises in Teynampet. Over 25 IT officers are involved in the searches in the properties and it has been reported that the raid will be in process for at least a day. According to a news agency, Sabareesan was in Coimbatore on Thursday and he is now on the way to Chennai after learning that the IT sleuths have raided his properties. 

The searches have come days after the raids were conducted at the properties of senior DMK leader EV Velu in Tiruvannamalai. Velu is contesting in the upcoming polls in the Tiruvannamalai constituency, where he maintains a stronghold. The IT officials had stormed into Velu's properties on March 25 and they had searched his residence, guest house, and his college. 

The officials had raided Velu's residences at the same time when DMK President MK Stalin had arrived in Tiruvannamalai to campaign for Velu. The IT raids at Velu's properties have lasted for two days and over 100 officials were involved in this operation. The IT raids in the circle of Stalin's family had come at a high time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had arrived in Madurai to campaign for the BJP-ADMK alliance. Tamil Nadu will go to the single-phase poll on April 6 and the votes will be counted on May 2, during which the results will be announced.