INDIA. Mumbai: Income-Tax Department on Friday conducted raids at six locations including the Nagpur residence of former state home minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh in connection with alleged income tax irregularities.
The raids were conducted by an IT team comprising officers from Mumbai, Nagpur, and Delhi. They were carried out at Deshmukh’s residence at Katol, NIT College, an accommodation at VIP Road, office at Midas Height at Ramdaspeth, Hotel Trevhotel located on Wardha Road and a flat at Rachna Galaxy located at Shivaji Nagar, Nagpur. The IT also sealed the bank accounts of Deshmukh. The former home minister and his children were not at home at the time of raids, sources said.
The raids were conducted after dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze, alleged that Deshmukh had asked him to collect money from bar and hotel owners, and he used to give instructions in high-profile investigations. Vaze made the alleged statements during his interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate.
Vaze also allegedly claimed that Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab and Deshmukh had allegedly received Rs 40 crore from 10 DCPs in Mumbai to reverse the order of their transfer issued by the then Mumbai police commissioner (now DG, Home Guard) Param Bir Singh.
The ED has claimed that its probe has revealed that Deshmukh used to call Vaze about handing over money collected from bars and restaurants. The ED has already filed a criminal case against Deshmukh under the anti-money laundering law. The ED filed the case after the CBI carried out a preliminary inquiry on the orders of the Bombay High Court which asked it to look into the allegations of bribery made against Deshmukh by Singh. Singh had claimed that Deshmukh had ordered to collect Rs 100-crore from the bars and restaurants every month.
The Supreme Court has also declined any interim protection to Deshmukh from coercive action by the ED or CBI. Deshmukh has skipped several ED summons so far. Earlier, the central probe agency raided his premises in Mumbai and Nagpur and also arrested two of his associates. ED has issued a “look out” notice against Deshmukh due to his repeated failure to present before the ED.
In the meanwhile, the Maharashtra government on September 16 suspended Deshmukh’s former personal secretary Sanjiv Palande (an additional collector rank officer) over a corruption case. Palande was arrested by ED on June 26 in connection with the alleged corruption case against Deshmukh.
After the ED and CBI conducted raids at the residence of Deshmukh, The raids at his residence were carried out by IT for the first time. When contacted IT Investigation wing Director S S Parida refused to comment. Deshmukh resigned on April 05, after the Bombay high court directed the CBI to probe corruption charges against him.
