LUCKNOW: Income tax department personnel on Saturday swooped down on six locations across four districts of Uttar Pradesh to launch serial searches on residences and establishments of two Samajwadi Party leaders and party president Akhilesh Yadav’s aides, including RCL Group promoter Manoj Yadav on tax evasion tip-offs. More than 125 tax sleuths were pressed into service for statewide searches, which continued well past midnight in Want to, Lucknow, Mainpuri and Agra districts.
The early morning swoop by the Varanasi IT cell began at the Mau residence and office of Samajwadi Party national spokesperson, Rajiv Rai, who runs a chain of educational institutions in Karnataka. His house in Shahadatpur area of the district was under police siege till late Saturday even as taxmen kicked off raids at his business premises in Bangalore. As per his 2014 election affidavit, Rai owned immovable assets of Rs 13.85crore while his wife had immovable assets of Rs 50 lakh. The family’s total moveable assets were pegged at Rs 2.20 crore. Rai, who was mentored in politics by former SP vice-president late Janeshwar Mishra, had contested unsuccessfully from Mau on a SP ticket in 2014.
“I have no criminal background or black money. My mobile phone has been seized by IT sleuths. I work for people’s welfare, so the government has launched a crackdown on me. I appeal to my supporters to maintain calm,” said Rajiv Rai, while talking to journalists.
In Lucknow, taxmen searched the upscale Gomti Nagar residence of Akhilesh Yadav’s former officer on special duty (OSD), Janendra Yadav alias Neetu, who was once mentored by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Another Akhilesh aide, Rahul Bhasin’s house in Mahanagar Extension of the state capital was searched amidst heavy police deployment.
Simultaneous searches were also conducted at the office and residential premises of RCL Group promoter Manoj Yadav in Mainpuri and Agra. Manoj dealt in construction contracts and held the post of district panchayat president. Later in the evening, another SP leader Jagat Singh’s house was searched by taxmen, who told TOI that the operation would continue on Sunday.
The early morning swoop by the Varanasi IT cell began at the Mau residence and office of Samajwadi Party national spokesperson, Rajiv Rai, who runs a chain of educational institutions in Karnataka. His house in Shahadatpur area of the district was under police siege till late Saturday even as taxmen kicked off raids at his business premises in Bangalore. As per his 2014 election affidavit, Rai owned immovable assets of Rs 13.85crore while his wife had immovable assets of Rs 50 lakh. The family’s total moveable assets were pegged at Rs 2.20 crore. Rai, who was mentored in politics by former SP vice-president late Janeshwar Mishra, had contested unsuccessfully from Mau on a SP ticket in 2014.
“I have no criminal background or black money. My mobile phone has been seized by IT sleuths. I work for people’s welfare, so the government has launched a crackdown on me. I appeal to my supporters to maintain calm,” said Rajiv Rai, while talking to journalists.
In Lucknow, taxmen searched the upscale Gomti Nagar residence of Akhilesh Yadav’s former officer on special duty (OSD), Janendra Yadav alias Neetu, who was once mentored by party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Another Akhilesh aide, Rahul Bhasin’s house in Mahanagar Extension of the state capital was searched amidst heavy police deployment.
Simultaneous searches were also conducted at the office and residential premises of RCL Group promoter Manoj Yadav in Mainpuri and Agra. Manoj dealt in construction contracts and held the post of district panchayat president. Later in the evening, another SP leader Jagat Singh’s house was searched by taxmen, who told TOI that the operation would continue on Sunday.
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