BENGALURU: The Income Tax Department, during its raids on Congress leaders, is said to have found documents indicating huge amounts being paid to an AICC leader in the national capital. The findings are likely to embarrass the Congress leaders who are accusing the Centre of conducting I-T raids in non-BJP ruled states.
The I-T department had on January 19 raided Excise Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and KPCC Women’s Wing president Laxmi Hebbalkar’s residences in Belagavi. The department said they had unearthed assests worth nearly Rs 162 crore unaccounted for.
Sources said that during the investigations, the IT department has found some entries that indicate huge amounts being paid to a women AICC leader. AICC headquarters is in the know of the developments and has sought a detailed report from KPCC president G Parameshwara. The KPCC chief has, in turn, sought a report from Jarkiholi and Hebbalkar.
During the probe, the officials also found that the AICC leader had attended Jarkiholi’s daughter’s marriage in Gokok and during that time she was gifted with gold and diamond ornaments, sources said adding she is said to have helped Jarkiholi become minister.
In the last reshuffle, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had dropped Satish Jarkiholi and inducted his brother Ramesh into the ministry. Ramesh is said to have complained to the CM about Satish’s role in January 19th raids on his residence.
The charge was denied by Satish and even the I-T department too had stated that the raids were conducted after gathering information through their sources and not based on information given by anyone.
The raids have snowballed into a political issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accusing the Centre of targeting the non-BJP ruled states by conducting I-T raids on leaders. Why only leaders in non-BJP ruled states are targeted?, he questioned in Bengaluru on Saturday.