BENGALURU: Income Tax Department (I-T) continued to unearth large cache of cash, which were illegally converted from old denomination notes post demonetisation. In a recent disclosure by the I-T department officials of Karnataka and Goa region, a total of 3.57 crores in cash were seized in Bengaluru and Panaji. Of the cash seized, Rs 2.93 crore was Rs 2,000 denominations. The raids were conducted on Monday and Tuesday.
Dog scare
In the raid conducted in Bengaluru, unaccounted income of a person - whose identity is yet to be revealed - was seized from an apartment in Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru. According to a release issue by the Regional Office of Income Tax Department, the officials had a tough time getting into the apartment where the cash was stashed. "On 12th December reliable information was received that huge cash is lying in an apartment, in occupation of an old lady, guarded by two dogs. Based on this, on 13th December, Tuesday Investigation wing tried to conduct enquiries in the flat. But the old lady was totally non-cooperative and even refused to tie the dogs in the flat," the release said. The officials had raided the house, based on a tip-off.
The officials with the help of police and other inmates of the complex gained entry into the apartment in some time. However, one of the rooms inside the house was found to be locked. Further investigation revealed that a person who frequented the apartment everyday during wee hours. Officials summoned the person and succeeded in opening the locked room. In the background verification of the person conducted by the officials, he claimed to be the member of a club which turned out to be inaccurate, raising suspicion among the officials.
Inside the room, the sleuths recovered Rs 2.89 crore of unaccounted cash, of which Rs 2.25 crore was in the new Rs 2,000 denominations. The cash was seized by the officials, and investigation is underway.
Panaji case
In another case, officials seized Rs 67.98 lakh in new Rs 2,000 denominations from unidentified individuals in Banda, Maharashtra, bordering Goa. This operation was also conducted based on a tip off, in which I-T sleuths disguising themselves as persons waiting to exchange the cash, intercepted a team on Tuesday. They were successful in seizing Rs 67.98 lakh worth Rs 2,000 notes. Based on the information provided by people who were nabbed, officials also apprehended one person under whose directions money was being illegally exchanged. Further investigation is under progress.