Consulting experts for legal recourse against IT raids in Chhattisgarh, says CM Baghel

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said that his government is taking advise form legal experts on how to deal with the IT raids undertaken by the orders of the central government without informing the state government.

Hitting out at the BJP government against the IT Department's raids in the state, on several people including, CM's close aid and Raipur Mayor Ajaz Dhebar and other senior IAS officers, Baghel told reporters, "Centre is telling us nothing. Chhattisgarh is a Naxal affected state. If someone happens to raid a place dressed as Police or Army, how will we come to know. Who will take the responsibility then? We are now consulting the legal experts as what further action can be initiated in the matter."

"For the past four days, the Income Tax (IT) Department has been raiding without giving any information to the state government. While taking such action, the centre must keep the state government in loop. It's unfortunate they failed to do that," he added.

Chief Minister Baghel also accused the BJP of avenging its recent defeats in the state Assembly elections and panchayat elections.

"It's all because the recent election defeat they have faced. There was plenty of corruption case took place during the Raman Singh government. Did any of the central agencies take any action against them?" he added.

He further said: "Raman Singh's (BJP leader and former CM) son named had featured in the Panama Papers yet no action was initiated against him. Former Pakistan Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) has been jailed for it, but no action has been taken against him by our government."

On Thursday, the I-T Department had conducted raids at 25 premises, including those of Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Ajaz Dhebar and senior IAS officers in the state. The IT department team then on Friday raided the Bhilai residence of Soumya Chaurasia, the Deputy Secretary of Baghel.

Officials raided properties of Ajaz Dhebar, his brother Anwar Dhebar and liquor baron Pappu Bhatiya. Searches were also conducted on the premises of senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, Vivek Dhand and Anil Tuteja. Dhand is also a former Chief Secretary of the state.

Following the raids, the state unit of Congress held a protest on Saturday. Baghel had also alleged that the Central government had ordered the raids to destabilise his government.

"The government is not against any investigation into corruption cases but the officials should have informed us before coming out on the streets with armed forces," Baghel told reporters on Saturday.

According to sources, the Income Tax Department had to source extra machines for counting notes. Cash and jewellery, as well as information of bogus documents of many companies, have been allegedly found in the raids.