I-T sleuths raid premises linked to people considered close to Shiv Sena

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 8

The Income Tax Department sleuths raided premises linked to businessmen who are considered to be close to Shiv Sena leaders on Tuesday.

Sources said searches were conducted by the investigation wing of the Income Tax department at more than 20 locations across Maharashtra. Of these, 12 were in Mumbai and the rest were in Pune.

It is reliably learnt that the IT sleuths swooped on the homes and offices of Rahul Kanal, a Trustee of Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, and a confidante of Maharastra Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, and Sadanand Kadam, the brother of senior Shiv Sena leader and a government official, among others.

Aditya Thackeray condemned the raids.

“Central agencies misused in the past too, it happened in Bengal, Andhra Pradesh & now it’s happening in Maharashtra too. Central agencies have in a way become publicity machinery of BJP itself. Maharashtra will not bow down,” he told the press on Tuesday.

The latest I-T Department action came after the February 25 raids on Shiv Sena Corporator Yeshwant Jadhav and others in connection with alleged tax evasion on income worth over Rs 130 crore.