The Income Tax department during a search on the premises of a business group in north Bengal, recently, seized unaccounted cash of ₹1.73 crore along with unaccounted jewellery worth ₹.1 crore.
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“The business group is controlled by a person with an active political background. Search was also conducted on his close business associate. The group is engaged in a variety of businesses ranging from production and sale of edible rice bran oil, mustard oil, De-Oiled Rice Bran [DORB], different types of chemicals and real estate, etc.,” a press statement by the Ministry of Finance said on May 16.
Earlier this month raids were held at the residence and other premises of Krishna Kalyani who had won the 2021 Assembly election on a BJP ticket. However, in October 2021 he had joined the Trinamool Congress. He was appointed chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (BJP) in July 2022 after Mukul Roy quit the post on health grounds. While in the Assembly the MLA represents the BJP, outside the House he is a Trinamool leader.
Along with searches at Mr. Kalyani’s house at Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district, raids were held at premises linked to his business partner in Malda district.
“A total of 23 premises spread over Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Kolkata, Siliguri in West Bengal and Guwahati in Assam and surrounding areas were covered. The search action revealed that the group was suppressing its yield and making unaccounted cash sales of edible oils and DORB. Several instances of cash transactions not recorded in regular books of account have been detected during the search operation,” the statement added.
According to the Income Tax department, handwritten notes, documents and digital evidence containing extracts of cash transactions have been seized as well as parallel cash books and bogus claims of expenses have also been found. “Preliminary investigation has revealed unaccounted income of more than ₹40 crore,” the statement added.
As far as search on the business associate of the group, a leading exporter of agro products in Malda district of north Bengal, the I-T department said that incriminating documents against cash payments over land acquisition to the tune of ₹17 crore (approx.) have been found as well as details pertaining to unaccounted cash receipts of about ₹100 crore.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had in the past threatened the MLA who defected from the BJP to the Trinamool with raids by Central agencies. At a public meeting recently, he had asked the I-T department to reveal the amount of cash and gold seized from the premises of the Raiganj MLA.
