Bengaluru, Aug 6 (Deccan Chronicle): The Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation), Karnataka & Goa, have reportedly unearthed huge amount of undeclared income worth over Rs 300 crore from several premises of the Energy Minister DK Shivakumar and his family members during the search and seizure operations at 64 locations in Delhi and Karnataka.
Out of the over Rs 300 crore alleged undeclared income over Rs 100 crore reportedly belongs to Shivakumar and his family members, highly placed sources told this newspaper on condition of anonymity.
The DGIT has also seized undeclared assets including jewellery worth Rs 15 crore and huge stash of incriminating documents during the operations, which commenced on Wednesday early morning and concluded on Saturday evening.
“The balance undeclared income of over Rs 200 crores, which was unearthed by the Income Tax sleuths, belongs to various business groups including a top real estate group and a transport firm, among others, where he allegedly has business investments,” said the sources.
The DGIT will take time to examine the documents to conclude the extent of his undeclared income, which were seized during the three day search operations. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to step in, to examine if there was a case of money laundering that attracted violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Unfazed DKS is back hosting Gujarat MLAs
DHNS
The nearly 72-hour long Income Tax raid on Energy Minister D K Shivakumar’s premises ended on Saturday morning.
An undeterred Shivakumar resumed charge of Gujarat Congress MLAs lodged in a resort outside Bengaluru to prevent poaching by the BJP, endorsing his loyalty to his party.
Clad in a crisp cream-coloured shirt and a white dhoti, Shivakumar exuded confidence as he led the Gujarat MLAs on their visit to Raj Bhavan, where they met Governor Vajubhai Vala and later, took them around Vidhana Soudha briefly. He joined the MLAs in singing the popular devotional song Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises. They posed in front of the Vidhana Soudha waving at the cameras, before boarding two buses back to the resort.
The Congress wants to exercise caution with reference to the I-T raids, lest it is projected as defending corruption. The party high command has reportedly asked state leaders to be guarded while defending Shivakumar, with an instruction that they must question only the timing of the raids. No Congress leader was with Shivakumar.
“This is not the time for me to say anything,” was Shivakumar’s initial reaction to reporters after emerging from his Sadashivanagar home, where he was confined during the raid since Wednesday. Refusing to divulge details despite repeated queries, Shivakumar said he would “explain everything” after getting copies of the panchanama.
“I’m not the kind of person who violates the law and the Constitution... the truth will come out,” he said. “All our leaders across the country have stood by me during this crisis. I have not and will not do anything to embarrass the party.” “I am no fool”
In a cryptic yet political remark, Shivakumar said, “I hail from a village, but I’m not a fool. I came to Bengaluru to do politics.” He told reporters that he would first visit a deity “that I hold faith in.” He reportedly visited the Nonavinakere Ajjayya temple before heading to the resort in Bidadi where 43 Gujarat MLAs are camping.
Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar, who had a hushed conversation with Shivakumar on the Soudha stairs, said the raid “erodes public confidence in the Income Tax department.” He pointed out that all politicians, including Shivakumar, declare their assets before contesting elections. “Why is it that nobody checks where and how the assets come from,” he asked. “Look at the vulgar display of wealth during marriages on Palace Grounds or the educational institutions that fleece money or corporates - why are they not touched? Selective targetting of people leads to loss of public trust in government agencies,” he warned.