New Delhi: Income Tax department has conducted simultaneous multi-city raids on 187 premises including those linked to sidelined AIADMK leaders V K Sasikala and her nephew T T V Dhinakaran and Tamil television channel Jaya TV over suspected tax evasion.

Dhinakaran, the deposed AIADMK deputy general secretary, condemned as a "conspiracy" the searches undertaken by the Income Tax department (I-T) mostly in Tamil Nadu and targeted the Centre.

Jaya TV premises in Chennai and Dhinakaran's farm house were searched as part of 'Operation Clean Money,' under which premises belonging to ten Income Tax assessee groups were searched, a senior I-T official said. 

Of the 187 premises where the searches were conducted, most of it were in Tamil Nadu, a handful in Hyderabad, three in New Delhi, and one in Bengaluru, he said.

Such premises also include some which are linked to Jaya TV, Dhinakaran, Sasikala, and her brother Divakaran and they all fall under the category of assessees tagged for suspected tax evasion, the official said.

Dubbing the searches a "conspiracy", Dhinakaran alleged it was to oust him and his jailed aunt from politics.

The searched premises include those belonging to Jaya TV (Mavis Satcom Ltd), its associates, Jazz Cinemas, an alcoholic beverages brewery, Midas Distilleries, a jewellery outlet and other firms, the official said.

The brewery and cinema firm are reported to be associated with some of those linked to Jaya TV, Sasikala and Dhinakaran. Jaya TV, which was named after late chief minister Jayalalithaa and was the party's mouthpiece, is now perceived to be favourably politically disposed towards Sasikala and Dhinakaran.

Dhinakaran said his farm house off Auroville at Puducherry was searched. He, however, denied that his house in Chennai was raided.

On the raid in the farm house, the I-T official said it was held as part of searches into Jaya TV's account.

Searches were conducted only in the premises of those who held management positions, their associates, confidants or aides, the official said.

Hitting out at the Centre, Dhinakaran said, "Who can direct income tax raids, it is only the Central government...it is apparent that it is the Centre." 

Dhinakaran is locked in a turf war with the faction led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam for control of the party