Chennai, Jun 10 (PTI): The Income Tax Department on Wednesday swooped on the Rs 10,000-crore Chettinad Group of Companies at its offices across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai in Maharashtra.

A top Income Tax official said that raids were carried out in 37 places of the Chettinad Group in Tamil Nadu, two places in Andhra Pradesh and a few places in Mumbai.   

”Yes, raids are going on,” the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.   

On Tuesday, the group's Chairman Emeritus, M.A.M. Ramaswamy, had declared that he has disowned his son M.A.M.R. Muthiah, whom he adopted in 1996.

Ramaswamy, 84, had said that he had written and registered a will that all the assets which may be left at the time of his death would go only to the newly-formed trusts, Dr MAM Ramaswamy Chettiar of Chettinad Charitable Trust and Dr MAM Ramaswamy Chettiar Trust.   

The former Rajya Sabha member stated that the assets would not go to M.A.M.R. Muthiah or anyone claiming on his behalf or under him.   

He had also said that Muthiah should not perform any ceremonies on his demise.   

”I have disowned him and do not wish to call him my son,” he had said.   

The family feud in the group, which has business interests in cement, hospitality and education, came to the fore after Ramaswamy was not elected as a director of Chettinad Cement Corporation, the group's flagship company, at the annual general meeting of its shareholders last year.