Income tax sleuths raid Sahara head office in Lucknow

Income tax department sleuths today conducted a raid at the head office of the Sahara Group, owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Pune team, at Aliganj in Lucknow and scoured through documents related to the IPL.

A 12-member team came to the office at about 2pm and examined documents related to IPL, company sources said.

However, company officials maintained that it was "not a raid but a routine survey" by the department.

"They had sought time to examine the IPL papers," they said.

Following the controversy over IPL Kochi franchise, income tax officials had yesterday swooped down on the offices of other IPL franchisees like Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab.

Business conglomerate Sahara had last month bagged Pune, one of the two new teams unveiled in the cash-awash Twenty20 League from the 2011 season.

IT officials were verifying the records and accounts. The process was going on, Joint Commissioner IT (inquiry) Abhay
Kumar Thakur said tonight.

"IT officials are still scrutinising documents and accounts. The enquiry continues and it was hard to say how long it will last," he told reporters.

Asked about the outcome of the searches he said, "The process is on and it is premature to make a comment now. You will come to know the details when the process concludes. We will try to wrap it up at the earliest."

About scrutiny of records from other Sahara units, he said "we have asked for it".