IT investigation teams complete massive search on Shivakumar premises

Bengaluru: Huge teams of sleuths of the Income Tax Department in Karnataka today completed their raids on various premises of Karnataka Energy Minister and Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar. The raids spread across 60 places in Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mysore, Ramanagara, Hassan and other places belonging to Mr Shivakumar and his relatives with the IT officials seizing several incriminating documents relating to tax evasion by the Minister.

Mr Shivakumar who had been grilled by senior IT officials for over four days, including sessions running late into night, was a relieved man today as he emerged out from the confines of his residence and exchanged dialogue with the Gujarat MLAs in front of the Vidhana Soudha here.

Though officially no word has come out from the IT department about the outcome of their searches, reports quoting to sources had indicated that the Department had questioned Mr Shivakumar about the properties he had acquired both within the country and abroad that were known to be beyond his source of income.

He was sought details by the IT officials during the investigations. The ruling Congress cried hoarse over the timing of the raids and termed it as a political vendetta by the ruling BJP which wanted to settle scores with him. It was also seen as a part of the strategy to enable BJP emerge victorious in the State Assembly election due next year.

The IT department however, had at the outset of the raids, had indicated that the searches were in no way connected with the hosting of 44 legislators from Gujarat at a resort here. It had been planned well before as it had been investigating a case of disproportionate assets case against Mr Shivakumar. The State government had also expressed its strong resentment over the manner in which the IT officials had used fully armed CRPF personnel during the searches, without giving prior notice to the State police.

With police being a State subject, the Central Government had unnecessarily intervened and did not allow enough time to enable the state police to make security arrangements to avoid any untoward incidents. State Chief Secretary Subash Chandra had in a strongly worded letter to Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Aadhia had condemned the Centre's act. (UNI)