Income Tax Dept Files Complaint Against TN Congress Chief Over 'False Claims' Of Unlawful Detention In Pretext Of Search

The Income Tax Department has lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, seeking initiation of appropriate legal proceedings against K. Selvaperunthagai, President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and candidate from Sriperumbudur Assembly Constituency, for his alleged social media posts claiming that the department had illegally detained him in the pretext of conducting a search. 

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, Central Board of Direct Taxes, the department informed that on April 20, 2026, Selvaperunthagai had made a post on "X" (previously Twitter) alleging that officials of the Income Tax Department, under the pretext of conducting a "search", had unlawfully confined him within the constituency and prevented him from discharging his political duties and participating in election-related activities.

The department said that Selvaperunthagai had also repeated the statements to the media and it was widely reported that a search was conducted in his resident at Kilpauk, Chennai.

However, the department claimed that it had not made any such searches and the allegations made by Selvaperunthgai wwas entirely false and factually incorrect. 

"The above statements and media reports were immediately examined and verified by the Department. The allegations made are entirely baseless, and factually incorrect. It is clarified that no search, survey, or any form of enforcement action was carried out by the Income Tax Department against Shri K. Selvaperunthagai on 20.04.2026 or on any date in the recent past. Further, no action whatsoever was undertaken that could have restricted his movement. It is also clarified that no premises, including his residence at Kilpauk, Chennai, were covered under any Income Tax proceedings as claimed in the reports," the department said.

The department further submitted that, though the department carried out some verification exercises, it was in connection with intelligence report of the movement of unaccounted cash and was in no way connected to Selvaperunthagai. The department also informed that the verification exercises did not involve or affect any individual in any capacity. 

The department thus stated that it had reported the statement made by Selvaperunthagai to the Election Commission of India and also lodged a complaint with the police.