Mohit Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 17
Officials of the Income-Tax (IT) Department continued the raid for the second consecutive day at Sector 8 office and other business establishments owned by the family of former minister Rana Gurjit Singh.
The I-T officials have seized several documents and questioned Rana Gurjit's son Rana Inder Singh about the alleged undisclosed sources of income.
Official sources said Rana Inder Singh was questioned regarding the four employees who had got sand mining contracts.
They included cook Amit Bahadur, Kulwinder Pal Singh, a deputy general manager, Gurinder Singh and Balraj Singh. They had bagged contract for mines at Rampur Kalan village in Mohali and Bairsal village in Nawanshahr.
The sources said Rana Inder Singh was also questioned about certain companies, including Flawless Traders Pvt Ltd, Century Agros Pvt Ltd, RJ Texfab Pvt Ltd, in which Amit Bahadur and Balraj Singh were directors.
These companies had several common links with Rana's business empire. The I-T Department is also investigating Rajbir Enterprises, owned by Sanjit Randhawa (son of the minister's election agent JS Randhawa) and Sahil Singla, son of the minister's chartered accountant Triloki Nath Singla.
Sahil had claimed that they had financed the bid of minister's cook and another employee Kulwinder Pal Singh.
An I-T team also raided a factory in Lalru in the afternoon. An official, requesting anonymity, said several summons were sent to the owners to explain the source of undisclosed income. However, the summons yielded no response, following which the raids were carried out.
The manner of investigation suggests that it may be a precursor to a larger probe and the case might also be shifted to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other central agencies to track the money trail.
"The investigation may take long. All assets acquired through unaccounted income will be sealed," said the official. Despite repeated attempts, Rana Inder Singh could not be contacted.
When contacted, Sahil Singla, son of Tirloki Nath Singla of Kansal and Singla Associates, the firm that handles the accounts of Rana’s businesses, said: "The (IT) officials are still here and I will not be able to say anything yet."
The sources said a few officials had stayed at the Sector 8 office last night, while many others had checked into a hotel nearby.
On money trail since May last year
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