I-T raids on 11 contractors in poll-bound Karnataka

Income Tax officials on Tuesday raided offices and homes of 11 government contractors in Bengaluru and Mysuru in poll-bound Karnataka for alleged tax evasion, a senior official said.

"Raids were conducted by officials of the I-T Investigation Wing on one contractor in Bengaluru and 10 in Mysuru. They work on state government's projects through tendering," Income Tax Department Joint Commissioner G. Ramesh said in a statement here.

Denying reports in a section of the media, including news channels, Ramesh said that the office or residence of Public Works Department Minister M.C. Mahadevappa was not searched in Bengaluru or Mysuru.

"No Minister's premises was raided as reported by some media channels," he clarified.

Election to the 224-member Assembly will be held on May 12, with vote count on May 15.

The officials seized Rs 4.13 crore and 4.52 kg gold jewellery valued at Rs 1.32 crore during the raids across the southern state in the last three weeks.

"Of the Rs 4.13 crore seized, Bengaluru accounts for seizure of Rs 2.47 crore and Ballari Rs 55 lakh," Ramesh said in a statement on April 21.

The mine-rich Ballari town is 330 km from Bengaluru.

The Income Tax Department had stepped up surveillance and in view of the elections.

In one of the raids, officials seized Rs 55 lakh from a person. In another case, household articles valued at Rs 9.51 crore intended for distribution were found stored in a warehouse near Mysuru.

--IANS

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