Income tax department on Sunday ( 7th April ) have conducted a raid on the house of Madhya Pradesh CM’s close aides Praveen Kakkar and RK Milani in Indore and in Delhi respectively. As per the sources at around 3 am a team of 15 Income tax officers raided on Kakkar’s house in Indore. The raids are conducted due to the suspected movement of hawala money during ongoing elections and tax evasion. Those who were being searched includes the Kamal Nath’s officer in special duty (OSD) Pravin Kakkar, Rajendra miglani (former advisor), Moser bayer and Ratul puri’s company.
According to ANI
Bhupinder Singh, City SP Bhopal: We’ve nothing to do with Income Tax & the ongoing raid. It’s a residential complex, there are people inside who need medical assistance, they are calling the local SHO for help. They have closed the entire complex because of raid. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/ljmrm06kox
— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2019
They also added
#WATCH Bhopal: Argument breaks out between CRPF and Madhya Pradesh Police officials outside the residence of Ashwin Sharma, associate of Praveen Kakkar (OSD to Madhya Pradesh CM, where Income Tax raids are underway. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/ltXNnESE3b
— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2019
Ratul Puri was investigated by the enforcement directorate (ED) twice last week for more than 20 hours, he had been alleged against AgustaWestland deal done by his company. The investigating agency believes that accounts associated with firms of Ratul puri were used to receive launder money.
The income tax department is conducting searches across 50 locations in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh against those people who were linked to CM Kamal Nath.
The raid had been politicised by the parties as Congress leaders say ” The BJP government has been targeting opposition leaders across the country due to political enmity”. Whereas countering the Congress BJP says that ” thieves were now having a complaint against chowkidaar” since Black money worth crores was recovered during the income tax department’s raid at the house of private secretary of Madhya Pradesh CM”.
Due to the raid of IT officials, it has become a centre vs state tussle since as per the reports the CRPF officials had been stopped by the police. Pradeep Kumar a CRPF official alleged that MP police was not letting them work he says that” The local police abuse us. We are only following orders of our seniors. Seniors have asked us to not let anybody in. That’s why we are not letting anybody in”. Whereas MP police say that ” we have nothing to do with income tax and the ongoing raid. It’s a residential complex and there are people inside who need medical assistance, they are calling the local SHO for help but the police cannot enter since they have closed the entire complex because of the raid”. Former CM of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan said: “Cash is being recovered documents are found and I am surprised that still, the CM kamal Nath tries to stop the Income-tax department’s proceedings”.
The doubt has been raised against police trying to stop the proceedings of Income-tax because on Saturday MP intelligence officials got the hint about the mobilization of 150 CRPF jawans towards the state from Delhi.MP intelligence officials sought an explanation from the centre on the mobilization of CRPF and they were told that it was for elections.
The properties raided in Indore includes Kakkar’s bungalow at Vijay Nagar, his office, Jasla marriage garden and another flat. The Bhopal properties raided includes Kakkar’s Nadir colony bungalow, Miglani’s residence, NGO directors residence and a relative of Kakkar. The recovery gained from the raid is yet to be known, But the case has been politicised and the parties have started hitting each other.