I-T Department quizzes Raja, Balwa

NEW DELHI: The Income Tax (I-T) Department investigating the sources of money invested by the 2G scam accused in several companies and trusts owned by their family members, questioned former T
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NEW DELHI: The Income Tax (I-T) Department investigating the sources of money invested by the 2G scam accused in several companies and trusts owned by their family members, questioned former Telecom Minister A Raja and co-accused Shahid Usman Balwa, promoter of DB Group of Companies on Wednesday.

The I-T team from Chennai and Mumbai reached the Patiala House Court premises around 2 pm and questioned the two accused inside the court’s lock-up.

“We are interrogating him regarding his family income,” said the official.

I-T sleuths had reportedly found several discrepancies in their personal income-tax returns filed during the scam period of 2007-2008. It was also found that some of their investments made in the companies held by their close family members were not declared.

Raja’s family members, including his wife M A Parameshwari, his brother A Kaliya Perumal and nephew R P Paramesh Kumar were earlier interrogated by the Chennai-based branch of the Income Tax Department.

All these people were associated with Chennai-based company, M/s Green House Promoters. Raja’s close aide, the deceased Saadhick Batcha, too, was associated with the company. The I-T Department had joined investigation into the case on the direction of Supreme Court bench of Justice G S Singhvi and Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly, which is monitoring the 2G case. It had directed the department to conduct detail investigation into financial aspects of the accused persons and companies involved in the scam.

I-T Department was the first to start monitoring telephone records of persons involved with the telecom ministry. It had taped conversation of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, working on the behalf of Tata Teleservices, controlled by TATA group of companies.

Portions of her recorded conversation is now also part of the 2G trial on in the Special CBI Court of Special Judge O P Saini.

The I-T Department officials got permission from a Delhi court on July 21 to interrogate six accused - Raja, Swan Telecom director Vinod Goenka, its promoter Shahid Usman Balwa and three Reliance Group officials - in judicial custody itself. The department earlier moved three separate applications, seeking permission to interrogate the accused.

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