Bengaluru, April 24: Income Tax officials on Tuesday raided offices and homes of 11 government contractors in Bengaluru and Mysuru in poll-bound Karnataka for alleged tax evasion, a senior official said.
"Raids were conducted by officials of the I-T Investigation Wing on one contractor in Bengaluru and 10 in Mysuru. They work on state government's projects through tendering," Income Tax Department Joint Commissioner G. Ramesh said in a statement here.
Denying reports in a section of the media, including news channels, Ramesh said that the office or residence of Public Works Department Minister M.C. Mahadevappa was not searched in Bengaluru or Mysuru.
"No Minister's premises was raided as reported by some media channels," he clarified.
Election to the 224-member Assembly will be held on May 12, with vote count on May 15.
The officials seized Rs 4.13 crore and 4.52 kg gold jewellery valued at Rs 1.32 crore during the raids across the southern state in the last three weeks.
"Of the Rs 4.13 crore seized, Bengaluru accounts for seizure of Rs 2.47 crore and Ballari Rs 55 lakh," Ramesh said in a statement on April 21.
The mine-rich Ballari town is 330 km from Bengaluru.
The Income Tax Department had stepped up surveillance and in view of the elections.
In one of the raids, officials seized Rs 55 lakh from a person. In another case, household articles valued at Rs 9.51 crore intended for distribution were found stored in a warehouse near Mysuru.
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Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has alleged involvement of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in a money transfer network at global level.
Posting his allegation on his personal ‘X’ account on Saturday morning, Kharge said that he was referring to an issue that had not been dealt with decisively by Indian media houses.
“Here is a crucial story that the Indian media will never touch,” the minister has said, and clarified, “This so-called “body of individuals” has built a global network of over 2,500 affiliated organisations. Through these fronts, the RSS collects “guru dakshina” to fuel its divisive agenda. (sic)”
Kharge has further alleged, “The world’s largest NGO is running amok, laundering money and evading accountability.”
The minister added, “Here is a map of their organisational architecture of their “Vichar Parivaar.” https://rssproject.caravanmagazine.in / @thecaravanindia”
