Tax sleuths raid houses of minister Ramesh L Jarkiholi

BENGALURU: The income-tax (I-T) department, which searched the premises of small-scale industries minister Ramesh L Jarkiholi and state Congress women's wing president Laxmi Hebbalkar on January 19, said this led to “gathering of evidence of systematic and organised tax evasion by both the groups“.In a statement on Monday, the department, without naming the minister and Hebbalkar, said examination of various entry providers, immediate bank enquiries and surveys at co-operative societies confirmed that huge, unexplained cash deposits had been made in bank accounts of family members and associates and in benami names in primary cooperative societies which were transferred to business entities involved in sugar manufacturing.“It was also seen that nonexistent persons have been made shareholders and investors in one of the sugar companies. Evidence of creation of bogus assets and siphoning off money from the company through various concerns engaged in turnkey projects for setting up of sugar factories have also been gathered,'' the statement added.One of these persons holds an important post in the state government while the other is an officer-bearer of a political party . Both are engaged in sugar production. Gathered intelligence revealed that both groups followed almost similar modus operandi for tax evasion. Common entry providers facilitators were involved, the statement added.The search also led to admission of undisclosed income of Rs 162.06 crore. Unexplained cash amounting to Rs 41 lakh and 12.8 kg gold and silver jewellery were also seized.Many persons, who had huge incomes and investments, were found to be not filing returns. Investigation is in progress, the statement said.The statement said, “It was learnt that the brother of a MLA from Belagavi from a different political party has claimed to be an informer in the case. However, the search is part of the probe process of the investigation wing of the I-T department out of its own intelligence sources. No informer was involved in any way and no other agency was involved in any manner in this case.''