The Income Tax department on Tuesday began searches at about 20 premises of individuals and businessmen believed to be associated with ruling Shiv Sena leaders in Maharashtra, people aware of the matter said. The premises include 12 in Mumbai and the raids were being conducted over suspected tax evasion.
The people said the searches began at the premises of businessman Sadanand Kadam, who is said to be a friend of a Shiv Sena minister, in Mumbai. The Bandra premises of one Rahul Kanal, believed to be associated with tourism minister Aditya Thackeray, was also being raided.
The agency’s officials were also at the premises of transport officer Bajrang Kharmate in Pune. Kharmate is known to be a close aide to Shiv Sena minister Anil Parab. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) last year recorded statements of Parab and Kharmate in connection with some cash transfer and in former minister Anil Deshmukh’s alleged corruption case.
The raids came a week after the department searched the premises of Shiv Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav, who heads the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s standing committee. After three days of raids at over 35 locations, the department alleged Jadhav, his associates, and some civic contractors have acquired three dozen immovable properties worth ₹130 crore. These contractors are suspected to have evaded income tax of about ₹200 crore. The agency has accused them of involvement in hawala transactions and routing the “ill-gotten money” abroad.
The raids come ahead of the BMC elections as the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of misusing the central agencies against the Maharashtra government. They followed the arrest of Nationalist Congress Party leader and minister Nawab Malik’s arrest in an alleged money laundering case last month.