I-T raids at pub co-owned by Shilpa Shetty in Bengaluru

The raids followed an FIR filed earlier in the week by the Cubbon Park police under the Central Division in Bengaluru against Bastian Garden City for operating beyond permissible hours.

Bengaluru: Income Tax (I-T) officials launched raids in Bengaluru on Wednesday at a pub co-owned by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

Sleuths from the government agency arrived at Bastian Garden City on St Marks Road near MG Road in Central Bengaluru and launched the search operation.

Multiple officers who arrived early in the morning had verified and scoured through the documents at the premises, sources said, adding that the raids were likely regarding suspicion of tax evasion.

The I-T department has yet to issue an official statement. The raids followed an FIR filed on December 14 by the Cubbon Park police under the Central Division against Bastian Garden City for operating beyond permissible hours. Police had invoked relevant sections from the Karnataka Police Act.

The FIR noted that police officers found the pub was operating even after 1.30 am on December 11. The manager and staff of the pub were named in the FIR. A video that went viral previously had shown two men engaging in a scuffle at Bastian Garden City on December 11.