I-T raids on MP CM’s aides at 50 locations

New Delhi/Bhopal, April 7 

The Income Tax Department on Sunday launched pre-dawn searches on at least 50 locations in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh against people linked to state CM Kamal Nath on charges of alleged tax evasion, officials said.

A team of about 200 I-T department and police officers swooped down on these premises around 3 am and some undisclosed cash was recovered, they said.

The searches are linked to suspected movement of hawala money during the ongoing poll season and tax evasion, they said.

Locations in Indore, Bhopal and Delhi (Green Park) were being raided and those being searched included Nath’s former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Pravin Kakkad, former adviser Rajendra Miglani and executives linked to his brother-in-law’s firm Moser Bayer and his nephew Ratul Puri’s company, they said.

Both Kakkar and Miglani resigned from their posts just before the Lok Sabha polls were declared. In Indore, the raids were conducted by a team of officials, who arrived from Delhi, at Kakkad’s residence in Vijay Nagar area and other places associated with him, sources in the I-T department said.

Searches were also conducted at Kakkad’s house in Bhopal’s Nadir Colony and a couple of other places in the state capital, they said. They said documents seized during the searches were being scrutinised in detail.

The raids are also being conducted against Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha, the sources added. Kakkad’s family is associated with a number of businesses, including hospitality. Ratul was last week grilled by the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi in connection with the AgustaWestland helicopter purchase probe.

MP Congress’ media cell vice-president Bhupendra Gupta accused the BJP-led Union Government of targeting opposition leaders for “political vendetta”. 

However, BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said thieves were now having a complaint against the ‘watchman’. “Black money worth crores was recovered during the Income Tax department’s raid at the house of MP CM’s private secretary.” — PTI

CRPF’s services used

• I-T department roped in CRPF's armed personnel to keep vigil during raids
• Generally, the help of the local police is taken by the I-T department in such cases
• During searches in Indore, CRPF personnel were seen posted outside a house
• A witness said a team of the local police was seen deployed about 200 metres away from the house