Bengaluru: Official of the Income Tax department on Thursday carried out raids at multiple places in Karnataka including in Bengaluru in connection with tax evasion and amassing wealth more than the known sources of income, sources said.
According to the sources, contractors in the Irrigation department were the prime target of the coordinated raids. The I-T sleuths also conducted searches at the residences and offices of a few chartered accountants. Sources said one of the persons raided was close to a former chief minister.
The sources said the raids took place in over 50 places across Bengaluru, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Davangere. However, senior I-T officials remained tight-lipped and did not react to media queries.
The Income Tax department had in 2019 raided then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s chartered accountant. The IT officials quietly moved into the home and office of chartered accountant HB Sunil snooping for files.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he had got information that I-T raids are happening across many places in the state. "I'm yet to get detailed information from the Department. The raids aren't related to our government. I cannot make any further comments without knowing the exact details," he said in Mysuru.
The Income Tax Department on Thursday also conducted searches at multiple locations connected with some realtors in Maharashtra on charges of alleged tax evasion, official sources said.
