Rs 1,000 cr undisclosed income found by I-T from two Chennai-based groups

The Income Tax Department has unearthed around Rs 1,000 crore undisclosed income and Rs 1.2 crore cash during recent search at two biggest jewellery retailers in South India.

The Department carried out searches on March 4, 2021 on two Chennai-based groups, one of which is a leading bullion trader in Tamil Nadu, and the other is one of the biggest jewellery retailers in South India. 

While the Department did not disclose the names, in the last few days it was carrying searches at Lalitha Jewellery, one of the leading jewellery chains in Chennai.

The search operation was carried out at 27 premises located in Chennai, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Trissur, Nellore, Jaipur and Indore.

The searches, so far, have resulted in the detection of undisclosed income of more than Rs 1,000 crore. Unaccounted cash of Rs 1.2 crore has been seized so far. 

The Department said it has found in the premises of the bullion trader revealed that there were unaccounted cash sales; bogus cash credits from its branches; cash credits in dummy accounts in the guise of advance for purchases; unexplained cash deposits during the demonetization period; bogus outstanding sundry creditors; and huge unexplained stock variatios.

The evidences found in the premises of the jewellery retailer revealed that the taxpayer received and repaid cash loans from local financiers; had given cash loans to builders and made cash investments in real estate properties; made unaccounted gold bullion purchases; claimed wrongful bad debts; inflated wastages in conversion of old gold to fine gold and jewellery making, etc. 

The searches, so far, have resulted in the detection of undisclosed income of more than Rs. 1,000 crore. Unaccounted cash of Rs. 1.2 crore has been seized so far, said the Department.