The Income Tax Department is conducting raids on more than 20 premises across Maharashtra including Mumbai and Pune. Of these, 12 sites are located in Mumbai. The raided premises belonged to businessmen and are believed to be close to Shiv Sena ministers Aditya Thackeray and Anil Parab.
Raids are going on near Aaditya Thackeray’s close friend
According to media reports, Income Tax department raids are also going on in Maharashtra’s ruling Shiv Sena office-bearer and Shirdi Trust member Rahul Kanal. Kanal is considered close to Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray.
Aaditya is also the son of Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Agency sources said the action has been taken on suspected tax evasion. The Income Tax Department teams are continuously scouting Rahul’s house and offices and his phone is currently being switched off. Rahul is said to be close to Aaditya Thackeray. This is the reason why political allegations and counter-allegations have started in this case.
‘Maharashtra will not bow down’
When asked about the raids, Environment and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said central agencies were misused in the past, it happened in Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and now it is happening in Maharashtra also. He alleged that the central agencies have in a way become the propaganda machinery of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But we will not bow down, Maharashtra will not bow down.
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: State min Aaditya Thackeray on IT raids in the state pic.twitter.com/V6KUw7ATTf
— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2022
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs staged a sit-in outside the Maharashtra Assembly demanding the resignation of cabinet minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik. Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case involving Dawood Ibrahim.
Also read- IC-814 Hijacking: Terrorist Zahoor Ibrahim involved in Kandahar plane hijacking killed in Pakistan, victim Roopin Katyal got justice after two decades
In the past too, there was a raid at the house of Shiv Sena leaders.
In the recent raids conducted by the Income Tax Department on the premises of a Shiv Sena corporator and some BMC councilors in Mumbai, nearly three dozen properties worth Rs 130 crore were unearthed, including some alleged benami properties.
In a statement issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the department had raided more than 35 premises in Mumbai on February 25. According to the statement, preliminary investigation has revealed that these contractors have fraudulently concealed income of two hundred crore rupees.
,
