CHITRADURGA/BENGALURU : When Income-Tax department sleuths came knocking on the doors of K C Veerendra, little did the JD(S) leader know that his secret cash chamber in his new swanky residence will be discovered. The I-T officials searched every nook and corner and it was in the unlikeliest of places that they discovered the cash, amounting to Rs 6.6 crore: a secret chamber in the bathroom.
The search began on Friday itself in Veerendra’s house in Chitradurga’s Challakere. On Saturday, they hit gold. In all cash amounting to Rs 5.7 crore in Rs 2,000 denominations and Rs 90 lakh in 100- and 20-rupee notes were found.
Officials also seized 28 kg bullion and 4 kg of gold. Veerendra, son-in-law of veteran actor Doddanna, owns casinos in Goa and was an accused in a cricket betting case.
The seizure was an inter-state operation, with I-T sleuths from Karnataka and Goa acting on a tip-off. They had information of a hawala operator being involved in conversion of old notes to bullion. The officials conducted raids in 15 locations across Karnataka and Goa.
Search operations on casino operators and bullion traders in Hubballi and Chitradurga districts were also conducted.
The I-T department officials raided the residences of Veerendra, his brother KC Nagaraj and one Thippeswamy.
Besides Veerendra’s properties, they also conducted raids on jewellery shops in Hubballi while the police in Mysuru seized Rs 22 lakh in unaccounted cash in Rs 2,000 denominations on Saturday.