CBI seeks to defend searches at Stalin's residence

After a controversy erupted over its raid at DMK leader M K Stalin's home two days after his party pulled out of UPA, CBI today said it had not targeted any particular individual but ordered an inquiry if there were any procedural lapses in searches.
The agency said this while seeking to defend its searches at 18 locations including at the residence of Stalin in Chennai in a case of alleged duty evasion by a car importer in collusion with an official of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence(DRI).
As the issue triggered a controversy, CBI Chief Ranjit Sinha ordered an inquiry into searches to ascertain if there was any procedural lapses.

"CBI wishes to clarify that the above operation was strictly in accordance with procedures and there was no intention whatsoever to target any particular individual," CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said.
The agency, which registered the case nearly hours after DMK withdrew its ministers and a day after it pulled out of the UPA, carried out these searches to locate vehicles which were alleged to have been brought into the country by importer Alex C Joseph in violation of cutoms laws and in collusion with a senior intelligence officer Muruganandan, CBI sources claimed.
The agency team reached residence of Stalin this morning as one of the imported vehicles--the high end Sports Utility Vehicle Hummer--which was allegedly imported in 2007 was registered in the name of Stalin's son Udaynidhi, they said.

The sources said agency's action of registering the case came nearly a month after it received a complaint from a source in Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which comes under the Union Finance Ministry, in last week of Februrary.
As the searches fuelled a controversy, the CBI team pulled out of the residence of Stalin.
CBI sources later tried to defend the action saying it just wanted to locate the vehicle which was imported through alleged dubious route. The car, however, could not be located.