JOIN USAuto driver draws I-T gaze for 2-cr villa deal
For a change, income tax officials on Wednesday found themselves going after an autorickshaw driver, whose fortunes had swollen phenomenally.
They carried out raids on his Rs 2-crore villa at Whitefield in the city after the autorickshaw driver, identified as Subramani, failed to respond to a notice served to him following raids on him on April 16.
Apart from him, the I-T department has also served a notice to a builder in the city in connection with the case. Subramani had allegedly bought the villa from the builder after paying Rs 2 crore in cash.
According to sources, I-T sleuths had first raided the autorickshaw driver — who was linked to some politicians in the city — on April 16 soon after he purchased the villa.
“I-T officials were tipped off after Subramani purchased this property. While such properties are generally bought by availing loans, the cash payment he made in full for the villa put the department on alert,” sources said.
During the raid on his villa, officials had seized several documents and around Rs 7.9 crore in cash. They also issued a notice to Jatti Engineering Pvt Ltd under Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions
Act over the purchase of Villa: 1, Dwarkamai, Sy. No. 51 at ECC Road, Whitefield.
Sources added that Subramani was also involved in a finance business and offered loans of up to Rs 10,000 to autorickshaw drivers at exorbitant interest rates. “Apart from this, he was part of a gang involved in encroaching government properties and selling them off,” sources added.
However, I-T officials were not available for comment.
BJP leader clarifies
Soon after the news of raids on Subramani surfaced on Wednesday morning, reports by certain media outlets linked him to BJP state general secretary Arvind Limbavali. However, Limbavali issued a statement distancing himself from Subramani and the claims that he was close to the BJP leader.
“My name has been unnecessarily tagged in the case. It is not right to drag my name in the case without knowing all the facts,” he said.