LUCKNOW: In a major crackdown on tax evaders, the Income Tax department attached assets worth Rs 225 crore of Net Ram, a retired IAS officer of UP cadre and his associates as part of an alleged tax evasion probe against them here on Wednesday.
Netram, a 1979 batch IAS officer, held key positions during Mayawati's tenure as Uttar Pradesh CM in 2007 and 2012.
The Income Tax officials carried out searches on properties linked to the former IAS officer in Delhi and Lucknow on Tuesday.
The former bureaucrat is suspected of having evaded tax to the tune of Rs 100 crore.
As per the sources, the action was initiated on the provisional order under section 132(9B) (power to attach) of the I-T Act. Around 20 immovable assets of the retired officer across metro cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Noida were attached and three luxury cars found at his residence in Lucknow were impounded.
Moreover, cash worth over Rs 1.64 crore, Montblanc pens valued at Rs 50 lakh, four luxury SUVs and documents indicating 'benami' assets of Rs 300 crore were recovered during income tax raids on the premises linked to the retired IAS officer.IT department officials carried out the action on a dozen premises of the officer on the basis of "credible inputs" that the former top bureaucrat and his associates had made alleged bogus entries of about Rs 95 crore from Kolkata-based shell firms in the past.
The officer had served in various capacities in UP, including heading the excise, sugar industries and cane department, stamp and registration, food and civil supplies department.