The details of UK-based companies in which DMK Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son-in-law Sabarisan Vedamurthy has invested have surfaced on the internet and have gone viral on social media, with many questioning Sabarisan’s sources of income given his humble background.
According to the websites of two companies in which Sabarisan was appointed as Director recently – SpaceTel UK Ltd and VoiceTec Sys Ltd, the companies provide telecommunications and financial intermediation services and typically work as intermediaries in financial management for internet service-based companies.
According to the documents, Sabarisan was appointed as the Director of these companies on 18 October 18 2022, which was also confirmed by UK government documents dated 25 October 2022.
The fact that Stalin’s son-in-law Sabarisan is investing in companies that lack infrastructure, earns profits less than ₹5 crores, that is not manufacturing and are only telecommunication intermediaries has raised eyebrows of DMK watchers.
The website also reveals that Srinivasa Venkatesh, a Chartered Accountant by profession, is the person with significant control over both companies – SpaceTel and VoiceTec. The important thing to note is that, in addition to these two businesses, he is a Consultant and Director at St Georges Bank, an investment advisory firm.
Westpac Banking, the parent company of St Georges Bank, has been convicted for money laundering on an international scale and converting unaccounted money into investments through its subsidiaries.
These developments in the United Kingdom must be viewed in light of the developments in Tamil Nadu.
Wired Entertainment: DMK’s SCV 2.0?
The website of the company registered under the name Wired Entertainment, allegedly related to Sabarisan, is getting ready to provide services such as TV, mobile and internet connection through fibernet, for which the DMK first family is said to have called cable operators across the state. This is believed to be another SCV episode from the Karunanidhi family.
Sumangali Cable Vision (SCV) was a multi-service operator founded by Sun Group, a company owned by Kalanithi Maran, a member of the DMK family. SCV is involved in providing cable TV connections and had once virtually monopolized the business before the advent of satellite dish. After the DMK came to power in 2006, homes were forcefully get an SCV connection for their television that burnt holes in the pocket. Between 2006 and 2011, there was a fierce clash between the SCV and another company called Hathway. The clash escalated to such a level, that the police had to call SCV distributors to the police station to warn them not to cut cables of Hathway. Hathway shut shop in 2009 saying that it was unprofitable to do business in Tamil Nadu. Later, the AIADMK government brought in the Arasu Cable TV, a company owned by the state, to help poor watch television at low cost.
Recently in November 2022, television screens across Tamil Nadu homes went blank for two days. This was alleged to be a sabotage on Arasu Cable TV to favour SCV. The issue was raised by BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai as well.
தமிழக மக்களை வஞ்சித்து தங்களின் சுயலாபத்திற்காக மேலும் ஒரு அரசு நிறுவனத்தைக் காவு கொடுக்க துடிக்கும் இந்த திறனற்ற திமுக அரசின் அராஜக போக்கை @BJP4TamilNadu வேடிக்கை பார்த்துக் கொண்டு இருக்காது! pic.twitter.com/WpMO4vkgGz
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) November 22, 2022
Wired Entertainment in its website claims to provide TV, internet and telephone services for just ₹499 a month.
There is nothing wrong in just being another market player. However, sources have said that there are attempts to promote Wired Entertainment at the cost of Arasu Cable TV and other market players.
According to reports, Wired Entertainment, a company reportedly connected to Sabarisan, has allegedly asked cable operators in Tamil Nadu to make deposits ranging from ₹3 to ₹5 lakhs each. Just like how cable operators were asked to buy SCV, they are now being asked to do the same for Wired Entertainment.
However, the work has stalled because this company’s trademark registration was rejected by the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks.
According to reports, Sabarisan’s appointment as director of UK companies was delayed by 8 months due to a snag in negotiations with cable operators in Tamil Nadu. The import of equipment required for fibernet business and the money required are reportedly linked through Westpac Banking, which has been convicted of money laundering.
The details of Wired Entertainment, which is considered to be a company related to Sabarisan, surfaced on the internet on 29 November 2022, but the details of the company like its Singapore address were deleted as soon as DMK critic Maridhas uploaded a video on the subject and the webpage was updated the next day.
The XML site map source code also reveals that the information was removed on 30 November 2022, at 08.48 AM.
According to the letter to the Registrar of Trade Marks, an attempt was made to register the fibernet company under the name “Wired Entertainment,” but it was rejected, so the company tried again under a different name, “We Connect.”
However, the registration of the company “We Connect” is also being challenged, delaying work with Tamil Nadu’s cable operators. Despite not receiving approval from Controller General of Patents Design & Trade Marks, Wired Entertainment has begun preliminary work and has started laying fibernet wires throughout Chennai.
People who are aware of these details wonder how the Chennai Corporation granted permission to lay the fibernet wire throughout Chennai when its application to register with Registrar of Trade Marks was denied. This has led to concern whether the Chennai Corporation and the Mayor are involved in these irregularities.
Wired Entertainment’s foray and Sabarisan’s recent dealings with the UK-based have added to the suspicion that just like how the DMK family captured the television cable business back in the day, they may be trying to do the same albeit this time it is fibrenet as every form of entertainment has now switched to internet-based services.
(This article is based on Maridhas’ tweet and videos on the same subject. Watch them here and here.)
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