Chennai: Officials of Income-Tax (I-T) today carried out raids at some famous restaurants in the city.
The searches began at 8 am with sleuths of I-T knocking on the doors of popular chain of restaurants including Saravana Bhavan, Anjappar, Grand Sweets & Snacks and Hotbreads.
According to sources, the raids started simultaneously at 32 restaurants across Tamilnadu at their head offices, houses of owners and branches.
More than 100 I-T officials were part of various teams carrying out searches. Sources say that Saravana Bhavan hotels located in MGR Nagar, Ashok Nagar, K K Nagar and Vadapalani were searched.
The houses of its owner Rajagopal and his wife Valli Ammal were raided. Residences of his sons Sivakumar and Saravanan and the company’s CEO were also combed. Anjappar’s head office in T Nagar and its branches in the city also came under the scanner.
The office of Grand Sweets & Snacks at Adyar, Hotbreads’s main office on Mount Road were searched by I-T teams.
However, officials did not divulge any information regarding why the raid was being conducted.
It is alleged that the popular eateries were evading tax payments for the past four years.