Karnataka   

IT raids on mining czars in Bellary

BANGALORE: Income Tax sleuths searched the premises of several prominent businessmen and politicians, including the former Minister B. Sriramulu, BJP MLC Janardhan Reddy and the former Mayor of Bellary Somashekar Reddy.

Sources in the department said the raids (which are still in progress) were carried out on 50 properties belonging to four persons apart from another mining company based in Sandur of Bellary district.

The others were Sanjay Betageri (personal assistant of Mr. Janardhan Reddy) and another company — V.S. Lad and Company. The premises searched were located in Hospet, Bellary and Sandur. Raids have also been conducted in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh .

The additional Director of Income Tax (Headquarters - Investigation) Ajit Korde said the officials had conducted a search, seizure and survey operation and had seized Rs. 60 lakh in cash apart from some “significant documents” and papers of properties and financial transactions.

Gold jewellery of a high value had also been seized. The authorities identified 12 bank lockers with documents.

Mr. Korde said the raids were carried out on leading business houses engaged in mining, transportation, real estate, and finance and leasing.

About 250 IT officials carried out the simultaneous raids on houses and offices of the four individuals. The raids began early in the morning.

A high-tech bus belonging to Mr. Janardhan Reddy has been seized by the officials.

Sources in the Income Tax Department said the raid could go on possibly for another two days. The officials expressed their difficulty in furnishing more details to the media.

Nobody was allowed to go near the locations where the officials were conducting the search operations and the presspersons who managed to enter the house of Mr Sriramulu in the morning when the officials were in the midst of their raid, were politely asked to leave the place.

According to sources in the Police Department , the Income Tax Department officials also raided the offices of a private cable television network reportedly owned by Mr. Janardhan Reddy.

Mr. Reddy and Mr. Sriramulu told presspersons in Bellary that the raids on their houses and offices were politically motivated and intended to sully their image. They alleged that the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his family members were behind the raids and declared that they would emerge unscathed in the raids.

Mr. Sriramulu and Mr. Janardhan Reddy were attending a rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Bheemarayanagudi where they arrived in a private helicopter. They later rushed to the hometown on receiving the news of the raids.

The police from Davangere had arrived in full strength along with the Income Tax officials and helped the tax officials to gain entry into the residence and offices of the mine owners.

The police officials told The Hindu that they were only giving cordon facilities to the officials.

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