MP raids: I-T detects Rs 281-Crore racket of slush funds; recovers cash
New Delhi/Bhopal, Apr 8: The Income-Tax Department Monday said it has detected a "widespread and well-organised" racket of collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore during raids against close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and others.
It said the sleuths have recovered Rs 14.6 crore of "unaccounted" cash and seized diaries and computer files of suspect payments made between Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the department has also detected a trail of Rs 20 crore suspect cash allegedly being moved to the "headquarters of a major political party in Delhi" from the house of an important person who lives on Tughlaq Road, home to many VIPs.
"Rs 14.6 crore of unaccounted cash has been found so far, besides 252 bottles of liquor, few arms and tiger hide-skins," the CBDT said in a statement issued late at night.
The CBDT frames policy for the I-T Department.
"Searches in Madhya Pradesh have detected widespread and well-organised racket of collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore through various persons in different walks of life, including business, politics and public service.
"A part of the cash was also transferred to the headquarters of a major political party in Delhi, including about Rs 20 crore, which was moved through hawala recently to the headquarter of the political party from the residence of a senior functionary at Tughlak Road, New Delhi," the CBDT said.
It, however, neither identified the political party nor the senior functionary. The statement added that records of collection and disbursement of cash "in the form of hand- written diaries, computer files and excel sheets were found and seized and it corroborates the above findings".
It added that the searches in Delhi in the group of a close relative of the senior functionary have further led to the seizure of "incriminating evidence, including cash book recording unaccounted transactions of Rs 230 crore, siphoning off money through bogus billing of more than Rs 242 crore and evidence of more than 80 companies in tax havens."
The CBDT said several unaccounted/benami properties at posh locations in Delhi have also been detected. It said these "instances of violations of the model code of conduct are being brought to the notice of the Election Commission".
The searches, on charges of alleged tax evasion and hawala transactions during the ongoing poll season, continued Monday at various premises in Bhopal, Indore, Goa, Delhi and the national capital region.
The department had Sunday launched pre-dawn raids at 52 locations of people and associates linked to Nath by involving about 300 tax sleuths.
Sources had told PTI that there is a "strong possibility" of the cash recovered during the operation being used as an election inducement to fund political campaigns and bribe voters in the poll-bound state and in Delhi. A preliminary report of the raids has also been shared by the department with the CBDT and the Election Commission in Delhi.
A cash van with large-sized trunks has been sent by the department at a location in Bhopal to seize and collect the cash found during the raids, they said.
Those searched included Nath's former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Pravin Kakkar, former adviser Rajendra Miglani, Ashwani Sharma, Paras Mal Lodha and executives linked to his brother-in-law's firm Moser Bayer and a company of his nephew Ratul Puri. Nath had reacted late Sunday to the development.
"The situation about the I-T raids is not clear yet. It would be appropriate to speak on this after the situation is clear. But the entire country knows how the constitutional institutions were used and against whom they were used during the past five years," he had said.
"These institutions were used to scare people. When they do not have anything to say on development and their work, they used these kind of tactics against their opponents," the CM's statement had said.
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India's neighbours wanted to break up Assam but Modi govt shattered their dreams: Fadnavis
Dibrugarh/Jorhat (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday claimed India's neighbours wanted to "break up" Assam by taking advantage of the unrest here earlier, but their "dreams were shattered" as the Narendra Modi government brought peace to the region.
Militancy has come to an end, and 92 per cent of the assurances made in the peace agreements with various groups have already been implemented, he told a poll rally.
Fadnavis maintained that the BJP-led government in Assam has not only ensured the state's development but also protected its identity.
He accused the Congress of having neglected the state and the northeastern region by adopting a "step-motherly attitude" towards them, while Modi has put the region at the centre of development.
Addressing a rally in support of BJP's Dibrugarh candidate Prasanta Phukan, Fadnavis said, "Due to the unrest in the state earlier, neighbouring countries thought they would break Assam someday. But their dreams were shattered by Modi ji, and Assam is progressing fast today."
Crediting the BJP government for bringing the militant groups to the mainstream, the Maharashtra chief minister said not only were peace accords signed with them, but 92 per cent of the assurances made have been implemented.
"Work is on for implementing the remaining eight per cent of promises also," he added.
Highlighting the various welfare measures of the state government, Fadnavis said special emphasis was being given on women's empowerment in line with the Centre's thrust on it.
"Women have benefited the most under Modiji's government. It will be 'Mahila raaj' from 2029 when 33 per cent reservation is implemented in Parliament and state Assemblies," he added.
Speaking at another rally in support of the BJP's Jorhat candidate Hitendra Nath Goswami earlier, the Maharashtra chief minister alleged that infiltration was at its peak in Assam under Congress governments.
"People had to launch a movement against it, and scores were martyred. But the influx did not stop, and the state was burning. It was staring at a full demographic change."
"But the situation changed when Modi came to power. Infiltration has been stopped, and almost all militant groups in the state are returning to the mainstream," he claimed.
Fadnavis claimed that the state's demography would have changed and Assam's history would have been rewritten under the Congress rule.
"But the Modi government works not just for development, but also protects the state's identity, culture, history, and tradition," he said.
He told the gathering that the BJP-led government has ensured massive infrastructure development for the state.
Mentioning the Tata Group's semiconductor unit at Jagiroad, Fadnavis said, "It is a gift of Modi ji to Assam. It will place the state on the global map."
He added that countries with the ability to manufacture semiconductors will be global leaders in the future, and India has joined the elite ranks of a handful of nations.
Taking a dig at the Congress, Fadnavis alleged it had always adopted a "step-motherly attitude" towards the northeast, due to which the region did not see much development, and was embroiled in unrest.
He also criticised the opposition party for its "anti-national stance" during the West Asia crisis, claiming it was trying to create discontentment among the people by raising false doubts over the availability of LPG and fuel.
"We had also been in the opposition, but we had never acted in such a shameful manner," he said.
Taking a dig at state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who is also the opposition party's candidate in Jorhat, Fadnavis said, "Those in Lok Sabha should remain there. BJP will return to power, and he will have no work here."
Gogoi is also the opposition party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.
