Income-tax (I-T) officials raided 60 places in Karnataka on Monday to find out whether opposition MLAs had been paid by the ruling party to vote for it in the confidence motion on October 11.
Income-tax (I-T) officials raided 60 places in Karnataka on Monday to find out whether opposition MLAs had been paid by the ruling party to vote for it in the confidence motion on October 11.
The residences of three ministers from the ruling BJP government — the Reddy brothers, their associate B Sriramalu and four party legislators were searched. This included TH Suresh Babu, legislator from Basavanakunte in Bellary, and B Nagendra, legislator from Kudligi. Raids were conducted in Bangalore, Bellary and Hospet and are likely to continue for the next week.
The action may have begun, but there’s a big question mark on its success. According to sources in the tax department, news of the raids was leaked out to ‘target individuals’ which made it difficult to uncover documents showing large-scale monetary transactions. “We’ve got details of accounts held at Axis Bank’s Parvathinagar branch in Bellary and branches of Vikas Co-operative bank in Hospet. These ‘suspicious’ bank accounts have been seized,” a source said.
Apart from residences, guest houses and farm houses, other properties belonging to legislators B Nagendra and Suresh Babu were also searched. All important offices, including the Reddy brothers’ Obalupram Mining Corporation were brought under the scanner. Income-tax sleuths were also seen keeping watch over the Reddys’ company lawyer Patil Siddareddy house’s in Bellary.
Private financier-cum-fleet owner Chor Babulal’s residence was visited by tax sleuths too. Interestingly, they also checked a car parked at Innareddy colony belonging to Ali Khan, a personal secretary of G Janardhan Reddy, on the suspicion that documents might be hidden in it.
A notice from the I-T officials was pasted onto B Nagendra Babu’s room in the legislators home and it was sealed. Nagendra Babu and Suresh Babu are nephews of the Reddy brothers.
Income-tax sleuths started their work around 6 am on Monday —sealing residences, offices and private properties and conducting searches. This went on till late on Monday evening. There was tight security during the raids. In Bellary and Hospet, 300 paramilitary officials accompanied the search party. The survey of Sriramulu’s house will go until Tuesday.
— With PTI inputs
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