New Delhi: The Income-Tax (I-T) raids continued this morning at the residence of Ashwin Sharma, an associate of Praveen Kakkar, who is officer on special duty (OSD) to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Security has also been beefed up at his residence.
The I-T officials have recovered over Rs 10 crore cash including some documents from Sharma’s residence and are now examining them. Sharma is a manager of a non-governmental organisation.
Raids began Sunday morning at the residences of Kakkar in Indore and former advisor to Kamal Nath, R K Miglani, in Delhi, on charges of alleged tax evasion.
At least 50 locations in Indore, Bhopal, Goa, and NCR were under the radar of the I-T department.
The I-T Department collected unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore. After which, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) hinted at the transfer of ‘cash to the headquarters of a major political party’ in Delhi, PTI reported.
“A part of the cash was also transferred to the headquarter of a major political party in Delhi including about Rs 20 crore which was moved through hawala recently to the headquarters of the political party from the residence of a senior functionary at Tughlak Road, New Delhi,” said the CBDT in a statement.
“Searches in Madhya Pradesh by Delhi Directorate of Income-Tax have detected widespread and well-organised racket of the collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore through various persons in different walks of life including business, politics and public service,” it added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former MP Chief Minister, slammed the Kamal Nath-led State government and said what Mamata Banerjee did in West Bengal, is happening in Madhya Pradesh.
Kamal Nath is yet to give a statement on the I-T raids. When he was asked for a comment on the raids Saturday, he evaded the questions and said he has no clue and is not aware of the situation.
EC CALLS CBDT CHAIRMAN
The Election Commission has called the Revenue secretary and chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes, today to discuss the ongoing income-tax raids.
Revenue secretary A B Pandey and CBDT chairman P C Mody have been called to explain the raids amid allegations by the Congress that the ruling BJP was using enforcement agencies to target it during the poll season.
The EC had Sunday “strongly advised” the Finance Ministry that any action by its enforcement agencies during election time should be “neutral” and “non-discriminatory” and officials of the poll panel should be kept in the loop about such actions.