I-T detects Rs 1,000-cr tax evasion, links to choppers scam after raids on Delhi business house

The income tax department has unearthed alleged tax evasion to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore after it raided a Delhi-based business house that is under its scanner for hawala dealings with links to the multi-crore VVIP choppers scam case, the CBDT said on Wednesday.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which frames policy for the department, issued a statement saying the business house that was searched is engaged in various e-governance projects and financial services.

While it did not identify the business house in the statement, I-T officials confirmed it as the Alankit Group that has presence in several cities of the country and also in Dubai.

No immediate response was available from the company on the charges levelled.

"The search and seizure action have led to unearthing of several incriminating evidence establishing large scale tax evasion, hawala transaction and money laundering by the said taxpayer group.

"The group has taken recourse to use of shell companies based in Delhi and Kolkata to route unaccounted money," the CBDT statement said.

It added that the department had earlier conducted searches on entities related to fertiliser procurement.

"Investigations had revealed that huge amount of commission was being collected in Dubai through shell companies of a Dubai based operator (Rajiv Saxena) who is also an accused in a VVIP chopper scam.

"A part of such commission was laundered back to India through the aforesaid Delhi-based group," it said.

Saxena was deported from Dubai in connection with the money laundering and corruption case in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper scam.

Preliminary enquiries revealed the quantum of accommodation entries and hawala transactions to be more than Rs 1,000 crore and the department suspects tax evasion and money laundering by the accused, it said.