JOIN USI-T raids: TDP refutes; asks Jaganmohan Reddy to clear himself of corruption charges
The Telugu Desam Party has refuted the allegations of corruption on its chief Chandrababu Naidu and asked YSRCP’s leader Jaganmohan Reddy to first clear himself of the CBI, ED charges against him.
A statement from the Income Tax department claiming to have unearthed a major racket involving Rs 2000 crore unaccounted income has led to further sparring between the two parties warring over Andhra Pradesh’s capital shift.
Based on its February 6 raids at six cities and 40 locations, including that of three infra major companies based in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and “collection of incriminating evidence”, the department estimates siphoning of more than Rs 2000 crore through transactions layered through multiple entities with bottom entities’ turnover at less than Rs two crore.
“Such entities were either not found at their registered address or were found to be shell entities. Several such sub-contractors were controlled by the principal contractors with all their ITR filings and other compliances being done from the IP addresses of the main corporate office,” said Surabhi Ahluwalia, Commissioner of Income Tax (Media and technical policy) in a press release.
“FDI receipts of several crores in the group companies of one of the infrastructure companies are suspected to be round tripping of its unaccounted funds,” Ahluwalia, also the spokesperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes, further said in the Thursday release.
Unexplained cash of Rs 85 lakh and jewelry worth Rs 71 lakh have been seized. More than 25 bank lockers have been restrained.
YSRCP alleged involvement of Naidu’s men, benamis pointing to the raids at premises of P Srinivas, who served as Naidu’s PS when he was the CM and Kadapa TDP leader Srinivasulu Reddy.
Botsa Satyanarayana, a senior minister in Reddy’s cabinet, alleged Srinivasulu, and Prathipati Sarath (son of former TDP minister Pulla Rao) as promoters of the raided infra firms. He also accused Kilari Rajesh as a Benami of Naidu’s son Lokesh and that Rajesh was a director in one of these firms.
Reacting on Twitter, Nara Lokesh, ex-IT minister, said, “Like the world looks yellowish for a jaundice patient, for Jagan everyone appears as corrupt.”
“They are trying to malign Naidu’s image. Srinivas was harassed in the name of IT raids for five days. He was relieved from Naidu’s office nine months ago. While IT officials said that Rs 2000 crore irregularities were noticed in the country, YSRCP started a false campaign that the amount was found at Srinivas’s place,” said a statement from Naidu’s office.
TDP contended one of the infra firms raided as the one awarded the reverse tendering contract of the Polavaram project by Chief Minister Reddy. It also pointed to the ongoing CBI court cases against Reddy.
“Reddy accused in a Rs 43000 crore scam and involved in 11 cases is resorting to mudslinging on Naidu. While Naidu’s family reveals their assets every year, why Reddy fails to do so,” the TDP questioned.