AHMEDABAD: An income tax investigation has revealed that Rs 20 crore was sent to Gujarat through hawala last month, sources said, adding it has also been revealed that at least Rs 50 lakh was sent daily to various districts of the state.
AAP candidate from Gujarat’s Bardoli Assembly seat, Rajendra Solanki, came under the radar of the police and sleuths of the Income Tax Department after Rs 20 lakh in cash was found from him. The I-T Department started its investigation after the AAP candidate accepted that he received Rs 20 lakh in cash through angadia or hawala.
Reports say the income tax investigation has revealed that so far Rs 20 crore have come through angadia in the state. An investigation is on at four angadia offices. The accounts of three firms are yet to be checked, though I-T officials said the amount meant for election expenses that came through hawala could be higher.
Investigating officers said money from Punjab and Delhi was coming directly to Ahmedabad through angadia. From Delhi, AAP’s Aditya Jain and Sudhir Thakur were allegedly responsible for routing the money to Gujarat.
“As we investigated the Rs 20 lakh loot case (involving Rajendra Solanki), we found that there is a big money trail behind it. A further investigation by the police found that `8 crore came to Gujarat at various times from Delhi of which 108 entries have been received,” said an official. “We also found that money came to Gujarat at various angadia places,” the official added.
Officials said during the investigation initiated by the Income Tax Department, another fact came to light that “Saurav Parashar, who identified Bardoli AAP’s Rajendra Solanki driver, initially withheld some information but later revealed that he is working with AAP’s technical team and is a graduate in economics. He previously worked for some other political parties, officials said.
According to I-T officials, Ashok Garg, who is associated with AAP, sent money through angadia from Delhi. “As much as Rs 50 lakh was sent daily. The funding was done through angadia. The unaccounted amount was sent to Himmatnagar, Gandhidham, Dahod, Vadodara, Valsad, Gandhinagar, and Ahmedabad. An amount of Rs 30 lakh was recovered from a businessman identified as Mukesh Tiwari in Ahmedabad earlier in the same link,” said an official.
Earlier the state police claimed they had recovered a hawala sheet mentioning `8 crores from an angdiya firm owned by Ashok Garg. Surat Rural Superintendent of Police Hitesh Joysar said: “Kapil Garg of Punjab used angdiya (courier) channel to route money in Gujarat. He sent money through Rohit Puglia, owner of KM Angadia of Delhi, and Suresh Hansaji Kumbar of Ganpati Angadia of Delhi.
“This Delhi angdiya sent money to Mahendra Soma Angadia and Chhagan Bhai Jayanti Bhai Angadia in Gujarat. This angdiya firm sent money to various places such as Dahod, Valsad, Vadodara, and Bardoli,” said a police officer.
“Further investigation is on,” said the officer.