The Hindu : Front Page : Income Tax officials search 20 properties

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Income Tax officials search 20 properties

Staff Reporter

Two hoteliers, politician under scanner

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Security: Police stand guard outside politician K.N. Chakrapani’s house in Kodigehalli in Bangalore on Friday while Income Tax officials search the premises.

Bangalore: Income Tax Department officials searched nearly 20 properties belonging to two hoteliers, one closely associated with the leaders of the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and a politician here on Friday.

The premises searched belong to Prakash Shetty, owner of Goldfinch Hotel on Crescent Road; N. Ananda, proprietor of the Nandhini Group of Hotels and Restaurants; and K.N Chakrapani, a Congress leader. The searches began in the early hours of Friday, sources in the Income Tax Department confirmed.

A large number of police personnel were deployed for security reasons both inside and outside the house belonging to Mr. Chakrapani situated at Kodigehalli near Sahakaranagar.

Mr. Shetty is closely associated with BJP leaders, and party meetings are often held in his hotel. Mr. Chakrapani and some of his family members have been engaged in large-scale real-estate business for the past few years. The Income Tax Department sources ruled out any political link to Friday’s searches.

The sources said the searches were aimed at verifying the individual income tax returns filed by the individuals and their firms, besides inquiring into their transactions in the real-estate sector. The Income Tax Department, however, refused to divulge information about initial findings.

The sources said the searches would continue for a couple of days to verify business transactions, documents pertaining to properties and other assets belonging to these persons and their associates.

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