BENGALURU/UDUPI: The Income Tax (I-T) department on Wednesday carried out search and seizure operations at various places including hospitals in Bengaluru and Udupi belonging to the Manipal Group.
The taxmen raided the office of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Manipal in Udupi district and Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru.
MAHE is owned by Dr Ranjan R Pai, Chairman of MAHE Trust. The MAHE campus of Manipal is a sprawling one and is a globally engaged educational institution having a partnership with more than 220 leading universities across the globe. More than 28,000 students from 57 different countries study here.
According to sources, IT officials arrived at the Edu Building of MAHE around 6 am and began the search for documents on the fourth floor of the Edu Building, where the finance department is housed.
A routine op: MAHE spokesperson
Last year too, I-T officials conducted a search at MAHE, Manipal. Udupi district Superintendent of Police Akshay M Hakay confirmed having provided police escort to the I-T sleuths. MAHE spokesperson informed that it was a routine task and that he could not reveal anything as of now and would come out with details later.
Sources informed that the I-T sleuths had not left MAHE campus till late in the night and it is said the search may continue overnight and on Friday too, as there are a lot of documents to be scrutinised. In Bengaluru, sources confirmed that the Manipal Hospitals located on Old Airport Road and Millers Road were searched by the I-T sleuths.
A team of officials arrived at the hospital on Millers Road in four vehicles early in the morning and sei z ed several documents. Doctors working in the hospital confirmed that the I-T operation did not cause any inconvenience to the patients.