HYDERABAD: A day ahead of the deadline for Munugode byelection campaigning, the Income Tax Department carried out searches at the residence of a State minister’s personal assistant (PA) in Nalgonda and offices of prominent seed companies in Hyderabad on Monday evening. The development has triggered a heated debate in the political corridors of Telangana.
The searches were conducted by two I-T teams from Chennai and Delhi. The sleuths also searched the main office of one of the two seed companies located at Secunderabad. According to sources, the I-T officials seized some incriminating documents, which contained contact details of several individuals and their bank account transactions, from the residence of the minister’s aide.
During the searches, CRPF personnel cordoned off the PA’s residence, and the local police were not allowed inside. There are unconfirmed reports that the transactions were related to the Munugode bypoll. Official sources informed us that the details were being analysed, and it may take some time before the agency makes its next move.
Sources said that the I-T officials also found several irregularities in the transactions and tax returns of the seed companies in the financial year 2020-21. The companies have allegedly made several suspicious transactions with other firms in the run-up to the bypoll. The officials suspect that the two sister-concern companies made several transactions to individual accounts over the last week to influence the Munugode bypoll.
The officials are now verifying the details of accounts that received money from the two companies. Interestingly, both the seed companies were under the scanner during Huzurabad bypoll as well for funding a candidate through their employees’ accounts.
Details being verified
The officials suspect that the two sister-concern firms made several transactions to individual accounts over the last week. The officials are now verifying the details of accounts that received money from the two companies