Officers of Income Tax (I-T) department conducted raids at the house and offices of former TMC MLA from Raniganj, Sohrab Ali and his other business associates in nine different locations.
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Officers of Income Tax (I-T) department conducted raids at the house and offices of former TMC MLA from Raniganj, Sohrab Ali and his other business associates in nine different locations. Sources said that a team of Income Tax officials from Kolkata along with a few officers from Asansol has raided different locations in Burnpur, Asansol, Kolkata and Bankura. Incidentally, Sohrab Ali’s wife, Nargis Bano is the sitting councillor of Ward 82 of Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC).
Sohrab Ali, who fought as a Left Front-supported RJD candidate in the 2001 Assembly polls from Hirapur Assembly seat, had lost to Moloy Ghatak of the TMC. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav even campaigned for him at that time and has visited his house.
After the winds of change started blowing in 2009, Sohrab Ali has switched sides and fought as a TMC candidate in the 2011 Assembly polls and became a MLA. But, a local court pronounced him guilty in a railway scrap theft case in 2015, and was has been denied a ticket in the 2016 Assembly polls. However, his wife, Nargis Bano remained a councillor.
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Sources said that since 5am today, the I-T investigation team fanned into different locations and started raids in Asansol, Kolkata, Bankura, Rahamat Nagar, Dharampur etc. The raids also included the names of Mahendra Sharma, a prominent builder of Asansol and owner of Ankur brand of Salts, Pankaj Agarwal, a chartered accountant, Imtiaz Ali, contractor of ISP and developer and hotel owner etc.
It was not clear why the Income Tax department conducted the raids and how much money and gold jewellery have been seized from these locations. Sohrab Ali has been looking after the scrap iron business of his late father Sher Ali. Neither Sohrab Ali nor the other persons have been available for their comments as the CISF and CRPF jawans guarding those houses and officers are not allowing anyone to enter or leave the houses. The TMC has also not given any official statements yet.
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