delhi

Updated: Oct 10, 2018 12:07 IST

Income tax authorities are carrying out searches at 16 locations linked to Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot including his Vasant Kunj house.

Searches were also underway at Brisk Infrastructure and Developers Ltd and Corporate International Financial Services Ltd. Tax officials have raided locations in Delhi’s residential areas such as Defence Colony and Vasant Kunj as well as offices and residences in Paschim Vihar, Najafgarh, Laxmi Nagar and Palam Vihar area in Gurugram,.

The raids started early this morning, Delhi government sources said.

The searches are being conducted as part of a tax evasion probe against two firms that are operated and owned by the family members of Gahlot, officials said, according to news agency PTI. They said multiple transactions and alleged under-reporting of profits has led the department to launch a tax evasion probe against the promoters of the two firms and their operations.

While the former company is engaged in the real estate sector, the latter is said to be a Non-Banking Financial Company.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party AAP alleged the raids were another example of what it called was the BJP’s political vendetta.

Kejriwal said nothing had come out of raids that had targeted him and his two cabinet colleagues. “Before the next raid, you should apologise to the people of Delhi for harassing their elected government,” the chief minister tweeted.

नीरव मोदी, माल्या से दोस्ती और हम पर रेड?



मोदी जी, आपने मुझ पे, सत्येन्द्र पे और मनीष पे भी तो रेड करवाई थीं? उनका क्या हुआ? कुछ मिला? नहीं मिला? तो अगली रेड करने के पहले दिल्ली वालों से उनकी चुनी सरकार को निरंतर परेशान करने के लिए माफ़ी तो माँग लीजिए? https://t.co/GUGEb0dwL5 — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 10, 2018

Arunoday Prakash, the media adviser to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia made a similar point.

“When will you understand Sahab, you won’t be able to bog AAP down with these tactics. AAP has been counting raids since it put you the mat in Delhi and you were left red faced on the massive defeat,” Prakash said.