IB inputs spurred searches by tax officials in T.N. & M.P.

Tax officials in Maharashtra may also seek support from IB

Officials loading unaccounted for cash from a DMK supporter’s residence near Katpadi.

The Income Tax (I-T) Department’s recent searches in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh followed “actionable and conclusive” inputs provided by the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Tax authorities are now considering requesting similar assistance from the IB to boost cash seizures in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, in the current election season, officials in the department said.

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The leads for search of an hostel room of an MLA in Tamil Nadu at the Omandurar Government Estate in Chennai and those of the residences and offices of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath’s aides were all based on IB inputs, the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

‘Scant intelligence’

However, in Maharashtra, the department has so far seized only about ₹16 crore in cash since the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls came into effect. And none of the seizures have been based on inputs from the public or the police.

“We have been receiving scant actionable intelligence from the police in Maharashtra,” one of the tax officials said. “The only other way to carry out successful search and seizure is if the IB provides leads for this part of the country. We could request them to do so if the situation does not improve any time soon for us,” the official, who declined to be identified, added.

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During the searches in Tamil Nadu, rooms of Revenue Minister R.B. Udhaya Kumar and two others were searched. In Madhya Pradesh, the searches were conducted as part of a nationwide crackdown at 50 locations.

“But all of these leads were provided with specific information by the IB. We have had no such luck for Mumbai or Maharashtra so far,” the official said.

Almost 200 I-T officials, six Quick Response Teams and four Air Intelligence Units are carrying out surveillance to seize any black money and valuables being funnelled through legal or illegal modes, including hawala, in the run-up to the elections, the tax officials said. The department has urged citizens to come out in large numbers to report unaccounted-for cash on a toll-free number.