NEW DELHI: A top Delhi Police official is in the eye of the storm for amassing huge wealth, much more than his known sources of income. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Licensing, Satya Veer Katara has allegedly floated 17 mail box companies in the name of his wife and close associates to wash his ill-gotten money that is suspected to be to the tune of `400 crore.
A complaint has been filed against Katara with the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department, which alleged that Katara—despite coming from a lower middle class family background—accumulated huge assets only after joining DANIPS. The initial probe by the I-T Department and search at the offices run by his wife last week revealed evidences of large-scale tax evasion, unaccounted investments in immovable properties, investments in the US and money laundering through bogus billing,
“More than 10 immovable properties have been detected, mostly in prime locations,” an I-T Department statement revealed.
The complainant alleged that Katara has close links with a former Congress MP from Haryana and two top business houses, who helped him create these assets. She alleged that Katara’s close relatives are acting as directors, shareholders or partners in more than five of his companies.
It is alleged that Katara is one out of 60 investors in Hakimian Hotel Project, near Times Square, Manhattan, US, with an investment of $1 million. Besides the US investment, the police officer is alleged to own a palatial farmhouse in the capital’s posh Sainik Farm and a cattle farm with nearly 50 cows. He owns other properties and lands in places such as Greater Kailash and Bijwasan in Delhi; Noida and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh; and Surajkund near Faridabad. His fleet of vehicles allegedly include high-end BMW and Audi SUVs, and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
$1 mn
Katara’s alleged investment in Hakimian Hotel Project, near Times Square, Manhattan, US
The complainant alleged that DCP Satya Veer Katara is running his business empire under the umbrella of five main companies. And these companies are under the scanner of the I-T Department. Corporate Solutions, registered under a Badarpur address in Delhi, provides security guards; the complainant alleged that Katara’s brother and sister are partners in the firm. But Katara is allegedly the authorised signatory for Corporate Solutions’ bank accounts—Axis Bank, Lajpat Nagar branch, and Vijay Bank, Nehru Place branch.
Another company Stuti Shiksha Swathyaya Sansthan, registered office in Badarpur, is an NGO run by Katara’s brother-in-law and other family members. The complainant alleged that the same NGO owns 80-bigha land on the outskirts of Allahabad. Similarly, another firm Forsan Healthcare Pvt Ltd is registered under Katara’s wife at a Delhi address. According to the complaint, Katara holds 42 per cent share for his wife and father-in-law in the company. By using his police power, he reportedly managed to swing some government tender in his favour.
Akaya Enterprises Pvt Ltd, registered at a Faridabad address, has Katara’s sister and her husband as its directors, the complaint said. Similarly, Ishan Healthcare Pvt Ltd is another firm, which has Katara’s family members as its directors.
Notably, Katara was served a show-cause notice for dereliction of duty and manipulation of logbook of his official vehicle at the time of the Nirbhaya gangrape case. He was then posted as the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (PCR).
The I-T Department, which conducted searches on the business and residential premises related to Katara, claimed that the police officer is running his businesses related to dental care and security guards supply in the name of his wife and close associates.
It further stated that the evidence of inflation of cash expenses, siphoning off cash from business concerns by the assessee were found and evidence of expenses incurred for construction of Sainik Farms house debited in the books of business concerns were also noted.
“Several shell companies floated by his group were also detected,” the statement said. It has been confirmed that during the raids on the premises of one of his close associates, unaccounted expenses and receipts were recovered.
Despite several attempts, Katara did not respond to The Sunday Standard’s calls and messages.
Katara was served a show-cause notice for dereliction of duty and manipulation of logbook of his official vehicle at the time of the Nirbhaya gangrape case. He was then posted as the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (PCR)