HAVERI: Sleuths of Income Tax Department and State Excise Department officials conducted a joint raid on Tuesday midnight at the residence of Congress party candidate K B Koliwad at Ranebennur on receiving a unanimous complaint. They, however, returned empty-handed as they did not find any unaccounted cash or illegally stored liquor.
Senior Congress leader Koliwad is the party candidate for the by-election of Ranebennur Assembly segment which is going to poll on December 5. The raids 48 hours before voting day has led to a war of words.
Irked over the raid, supporters of Koliwad and hundreds of party workers gathered in front of the Congress leader's house in the night and raised slogan against Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and accused them of misusing the power against their political opponent. Tension prevailed for a while before the police brought the situation under control.
District Excise officer Nagashayan told the media that raid was conducted following receiving of a complaint to the control room. The complaints stated about illegal stashing of cash around Rs 10 crore at the residence of Koliwad. They searched the entire house of the leader but did not find anything that was referred by the complaint, he added.
Politically motivated: Koliwad
Terming IT & Excise raid on my house is purely politically motivated, Former speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly K B Koliwad said BJP's political vendetta on me or Congress leaders will not gain BJP instead people of Ranebenur will elect me with an additional margin of 20000 votes.
Speaking with newsmen Ranebenur on Wednesday, he alleged that BJP is doing such raids by smelling their defeat in this by-election. IT & Excise officials did not get any cash or Liquor. They returned with empty hands, he said.
CM Yediyurappa & team misusing their power in this election people will teach BJP good lesson in this election, he added.