In a major pre-dawn raid on Sunday, the Income Tax Department seized documents from 50 locations in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh connected to two aides of MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
The raids were conducted on charges of alleged tax evasion and suspected movement of hawala money during the ongoing polls season.
The properties raided included the homes of Nath’s former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Pravin Kakkad and former adviser Rajendra Miglani.
Around 200 I-T department and police officers started the raid at 3 am at various locations in Indore, Bhopal and Delhi’s Green Park area. Raids were also carried out on executives linked to Moser Bayer, the firm of Miglani’s brother-in-law, and his nephew Ratul Puri’s company.
Kakkad, a former Madhya Pradesh police officer, was appointed OSD to Nath after the Congress-led government came to power in the state last year. He earlier served as OSD to former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria during the UPA regime.
Kakkar and Miglani had resigned from their posts just before the Lok Sabha polls were declared.
According to NDTV, the I-T sleuths recovered Rs 9 crore. The report also says that the raids were not based on the Election Commission’s directions.
In Indore, the raids were conducted by a team of officials, who arrived from Delhi, at Kakkad’s residence in Vijay Nagar area and other places associated with him, sources in the I-T department said.
Searches were also conducted at Kakkad’s house in Bhopal’s Nadir Colony and a couple of other places in the state capital, they said.
Kakkad’s family is associated with a number of businesses, including hospitality.
Income tax officers have also reached the home of Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha.
Reacting to the raids, MP Congress’ media cell vice president Bhupendra Gupta accused the BJP-led central government of targeting opposition leaders for “political vendetta”.
However, the BJP hit back, saying thieves were now having a complaint against the ‘watchman’.
“Black money worth crores was recovered during the Income Tax department’s raid at the house of private secretary of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. This has made one thing clear that those who are thieves have a complaint against the watchman,” BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.
(With inputs from agencies.)