After Janardhana Reddy's daughter wedding, I-T chase event firms

Income tax department on Monday conducted surveys on at least 10 locations of event management firms that worked for the lavish wedding of daughter of G Janardhana Reddy, Karnataka's former Bharatiya Janata Party minister.

Officials said taxmen visited seven locations in Bengaluru and three in Hyderabad of those event management companies given contracts to deliver a blockbuster wedding last week in Bengaluru. Reddy is also a mining baron.

They said the department is checking the account books, payment receipts, and contract portfolios of these firms.

The firms include those providing special Swiss tents, expensive cutlery, multi-cuisine food, and fireworks.

Under survey action, taxmen visit business premises and make analysis of the available stock and record it, whereas under search operations, both residential and business premises are visited and cash and documents are seized.

Once scrutiny of accounts and contract books is done, they said, further action of issuing notices to investigate tax evasion by both the contractor and the contractee will be undertaken.

The multi-crore wedding was in the spotlight recently for its sheer opulence and extravagance at a time when numerous people were facing cash crunch and had to queue up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw their money in the wake of ban of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. ATM is automated teller machine.

The five-day extravaganza was held at the Palace grounds here with ceremonies held against the backdrop of lavish settings.

The mining baron's event presented almost a surreal picture as Bramhani entered into wedlock with Rajeev Reddy, a leading businessman's son from Andhra Pradesh, with rituals conducted by a battery of priests from the famous Tirumala temple.

The grandeur of the wedding was such that huge sets replicating Vijaya Vitthala temple of Hampi, the seat of the glorious erstwhile Vijayanagara empire, and Tirumala Tirupati temple were erected at the venue, along with the replica of the homes of both of bride and the groom.