The Income Tax department has stated that unaccounted money found during a raid at a cooperative society in Belagavi district six years ago, belonged to former MLA and BJP leader Abhay Patil.
Income Tax Commissioner (Appeals) B. Venkateshwar Rao, in a ruling said that unaccounted amount of ₹8.5 crore, detected during a raid on Arihant Credit Cooperative limited in Borgaon village in Chikkodi taluk, belonged to the former legislator. He dismissed the claims by Mr. Patil that the money did not belong to him.
This has been arrived after considering all available evidences and after examining witnesses and other officials of the society, the commissioner said in his ruling. The ruling was given on November 1.
IT officials had discovered some documents and a dairy that had names of depositors in the bank. It contained the name of Mr. Patil along with others. When quizzed, bank officials including assistant general manager S.K. Terdale had admitted the money belonged to Mr Patil. A team led by B. K Prasanna Kumar, assistant commissioner of IT, had led the raid in 2012.
Mr. Patil maintains the money never belonged to him. I did not deposit the money in that society. I have said this earlier also. I will challenge the ruling at the Income tax tribunal in Goa, he said.
Sujit Mulgund, social activist, however, wants the government and the election commission to initiate action against the former legislator. We have always suspected Mr. Patil was corrupt. The IT department’s ruling has confirmed that. It is for the government and ECI to act now, he said.
