Income Tax officials besides conducting raids at Platinum Plaza residence of Ashwini Sharma and Prateek Joshi also took away the CCTV footage of some of their neighbourers. This information which was shared by sources from IT department has been confirmed by a resident from Platinum Plaza. A flat owner pleading anonymity said that several flat owners have installed CCTV cameras that cover the stairs and their door. Some officials on the second day of the raid approached a house owner and requested ‘extremely politely’ for the CCTV footage.
Sources confirmed that the officials had identified cameras that could identify the visitors to Ashwini Sharma’s house. Sharma had taken almost all flats on fourth and sixth floor that had been converted into his office and residence. His parents also stay there. Sources confirmed that officials are trying to profile the visitors at Ashwini’s place. These visitors include bureaucrats and politicians besides influential people like contractors and traders.
The CCTV footage maintained by a household depends on the storage capacity of the system installed. Sources said the footage could be of one month or so, given that the locality is counted amongst the posh ones. Besides visitors, general routine of Ashwini and his associates could be traced.
Ashwini Sharma had shot to limelight after IT teams from Delhi raided Ashwini and his associate Prateek Joshi. Besides huge haul of cash of more than Rs 10 crore, pictures of IT raid from his house shows that he had collection of guns, some vintage cars and a fleet of luxury cars.
A senior officer, wishing anonymity, also casted aspersion over decision of taking CCTV footage saying that most of Ashwini party’s were thrown at farmhouses in and around Bhopal. This CCTV footage could only shed light on regular visitors at his place.
Ashwini likely to be booked under Wildlife Act
Ashwini Sharma has been given a day’s time to prove that the hide and trophies recovered from his house are legal. If he is unable to prove it within a day, he will be booked under relevant sections of Wildlife Act. Sources confirmed that the register that has entries of trophies for Bhopal district has 2156 entries and Ashwini Sharma’s name does not appear in it.
Forest officials have given 24 hour-time to Ashwini for reply. Trophies of tiger, blackbuck and Chinkara were recovered from Ashwini’s house. Hides of Chinkara were also recovered from his house.
A forest official requesting anonymity said that Ashwini’s hometown is Bhind district. The trophies and animal hides are not registered in Bhopal, if Ashwini says that they are registered in Bhind then even it is violation of law. According to law, trophies can be kept only at the place where they are registered. If it has registration in Bhind, then also a case could be lodged against him, said the official.
