After 3-day raid, I-T dept suspects Rs 800 crore tax evasion by SP leader Azam Khan, associates
Rampur (UP)/New Delhi (PTI): The Income Tax department suspected a tax evasion of more than Rs 800 crore by senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan after it conducted raids on him and people associated with him for three days, official sources said on Friday.
Income tax sleuths who reached Khan's residence on Jail Road in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh at 7 am on Wednesday completed their search Friday evening.
After the officials left his residence around 7 pm on Friday, Khan came out and said, "It was a raid of I-T department. They stayed here for three days. They conducted searches and asked questions." Khan refused to answer further questions.
On September 13, the Income Tax department conducted raids at more than 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh as part of a tax evasion probe against Khan.
Official sources said the department has conducted raids in Rampur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh apart from some premises in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
In Ghaziabad, the Income Tax department raided a residence in Rajnagar Colony on Wednesday. The house belongs to Ekta Kaushik, said to be close to Khan's family.
The I-T probe is related to some trusts run by Khan and his family members, the sources said.
The scope of investigation by the I-T department intensified with sleuths reaching the Public Works Department and district panchayat office besides Muhammad Ali Jauhar University headed by Khan, the officials said.
They said the government expenditure files are being scrutinized as over Rs 800 crore tax evasion was suspected by the politician.
The raids drew sharp reaction from the Samajwadi Party which vowed support to Khan and accused the BJP government of "dictatorship" and "misusing central agencies".
"Azam Khan saheb is the voice of truth. He laid the foundation for a better future for children and built a university for education," the party said in a post on X in Hindi following the raids on Wednesday.
"Khan has always fought against communal forces. We all stand united with his voice," it said.
Countering the allegations about misuse of central agencies, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said the central agencies were well within their rights to take action to make "Bharat corruption-free".
Last year, a court had convicted Khan in a hate speech case registered over his remark made at a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area in 2019.
He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, following which he was disqualified as an MLA from Rampur. Later, he was acquitted by a higher court, but his disqualification was not revoked on account of his conviction in a different case.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
