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Updated: Apr 28, 2020 21:52 IST

The Income Tax department on Sunday conducted raids on residences and offices of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s nephew and two close aides.

Those raided were CM’s nephew Ratul Puri, officer on special duty (OSD) to Nath, Praveen Kakkar and a close associate RK Miglani.

The raids in Madhya Pradesh that began at about 3 am on Sunday are said to be a part of IT department’s nationwide raids on 50 locations, sources said.

Ratul Puri, who is chairman of board of directors of Hindustan Power Projects Pvt Ltd is under scanner for an alleged money laundering case related to Augusta Westland VVIP chopper scam.

The raids were conducted at four properties of Kakkar in Indore and two places in Bhopal of Kakkar and Miglani.

“I am in Chhindwara right now. I don’t know about the raids,” Miglani said while Kakkar couldn’t be reached for comments. Chief minister Kamal Nath too couldn’t be reached for his comments.

As per a report by news agency ANI, Ratul Puri had denied his involvement in the money laundering case and has in a written statement said, “I have no connection in the AgustaWestland case or defense. I run an independent business. I have no business dealings with any relative of mine.”

Pictures provided by Income-Tax Sources of cash recovered during raid at residential premises of Prateek Joshi in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. I-T searches are underway at 50 locations including Indore, Bhopal, Goa and Delhi. pic.twitter.com/TAMe4J1Nii — ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2019

The properties raided in Indore include Kakkar’s bungalow at Scheme no. 74 at Vijay Nagar, his office at BCM Heights, Jalsa Marriage Garden and another flat.

The Bhopal properties raided include Kakkar’s Nadir Colony bungalow, Miglani’s residence, an NGO director’s residence and a relative of Kakkar.

The IT team that conducted the raids came from Delhi, sources said.

Though the recovery during the raids is yet to be known, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted, “Black money worth crores has been recovered from @officeofKamalNath’s personal secretary.”

Miglani, who has been associated with Kamal Nath for many years, was appointed an advisor to Kamal Nath when he took over as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh in 2018.

Kakkar has been associated with former union minister and sitting MP of Congress from Ratlam Lok Sabha seat Kantilal Bhurai and was also his OSD.

Miglani resigned from the post of advisor on February 23 this year to help Kamal Nath in the ensuing by-poll to Chhindwara assembly seat from where Nath is to contest to continue in his chair of CM.

(With inputs from Puneet at Indore)