RAIPUR: Income Tax (IT) sleuths on Wednesday raided the residential and business premises owned by liquor businessman and the president of Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (Association) Baldev Singh Bhatia, who had allegedly violated the Supreme Court order on Lodha panel recommendations.
Sources told The New Indian Express IT officials conducted preliminary surveys before carrying out the simultaneous searches at his properties and offices in the State capital, Rajnandgaon district besides Indore, Gwalior, Delhi and Kolkata since early morning.
The Raipur-based liquor baron reportedly known to wield strong connections with politicians and bureaucrats in Chhattisgarh, is facing criticism for allegedly disobeying the apex court order and “avoiding to fall in line” with the suggested reforms.
He simultaneously held the post of general secretary of Chhattisgarh State Olympic Association though he claimed to have resigned a few weeks ago.
“He knowingly violated SC order and stands disqualified but didn’t step down from his post as president of Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh. Instead he claimed to have recently tendered his resignation (still under consideration) from the State Olympic Association which actually is clearly untenable,” said Vishwajeet Mitra, president of Chhattisgarh Nagrik Sangharsh Samiti.
The Supreme Court in its order explicitly cited that all the office bearers of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and of its affiliated State Associations shall cease to hold office and disqualified from being the office bearer if he “holds any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from Cricket”.