Begin typing your search...
Raided road contractor close to many political bigwigs
Exposing that the contractor– politician nexus that runs across the party lines, the Income Tax Department in a major search and raid operation in the premises of SPK Group, a major road contractor in the state patronaged by AIADMK bigwigs, ended in seizure of cash even from the house of a former DMK minister’s brother on Monday.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
The Income Tax officials seized Rs 160 crore cash and 100 kg gold worth Rs 25 crore from high-end sedans parked in various residences of the people having business links to the SPK Group. In Chennai alone, seizures were done in seven places while 30 locations were raided all over the state.
Apart from seizing Rs 24 crore from the sedan parked in the house of Ravichandran and Rs 28 crore from a BMW in the house of Deepak, Rs 25 crore stuffed in another sedan in a house at Mehta Nagar, Rs 28 crore from a vehicle parked in a premises in Tambaram as well as Rs 6 crore in a car in the house of one Anbazhagan in Medavakkam were seized.
While 81 kg of gold was found in car of an SPK employee, another 19 kg gold was seized from a vehicle in a premises in Tambaram.
“Some more seizures had happened in five other places. Scrutiny and verifications are going on,” sources said.
I-T raids on TN contractors continue
After unearthing Rs 1,350 crore worth tax evasion by a firm engaged in supplying eggs and pulses for noon meal programme in government schools in the state last week, the Income Tax sleuths on Monday knocked the doors of another government contractor, this time dealing in Highway Department works.
The raids and searches are considered significant because the Income Tax Department may unearth the nexus of the contractor with political bigwigs in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The Highways Department is one of the portfolios handled by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
The offices and premises, belonging to S Nagarajan of SPK Group, were being raided by the taxmen at over 30 places in Virudhunagar and Chennai, sources said.
Last week, the Income Tax investigators had conducted raids on the premises of Christy Friedgram Industry which had been supplying food grains and eggs to the noon meal programme of the government schools and found tax evasion to the tune of Rs 1,350 crore.
CM should demit office to ensure fair probe, says Stalin
Welcoming the “public interest” the I-T raids conducted at places owned by highway contractors in the city, Leader of Opposition MK Stalin demanded that chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami immediately demit office to ensure a fair probe by DVAC into the multi-crore road project allocation scam. Describing the road contractors hit by Income Tax raids as benamis of CM Palaniswami, Stalin said the probe into I-T raids, from Karur Anbunathan to Monday’s raid at SPK Group in the city, should be expedited and money amassed by them should be attached to the state coffers.
Remarking that allotment of tenders only to relatives and benamis of the CM was an unwritten rule in the Highways Department, Stalin said that it has been laid bare why the CM was afraid of enacting an all-powerful Lokayukta legislation. Palaniswami who diluted the Lokayukta to prevent probe into award of tenders to benamis and relatives has lost the moral right to continue as chief minister, he said.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
