Telangana Congress working president A. Revanth Reddy was grilled for almost six hours by the Income Tax officials on Monday, as a follow up to the last week searches at his house and that of his relatives and associates.
Mr. Reddy along with his aide R.S. Uday Simha, an accused in the cash-for-vote scam, appeared before the designated investigating officer at the I-T office in Basheerbagh after they were issued summons to join the investigation. They met the officer by 11.30 a.m.
Reportedly, the I-T officials questions were not just confined to the searches, which allegedly unearthed undisclosed wealth and shell companies, but also the cash-for-vote scam that surfaced three years ago.
After being questioned for nearly six hours, the I-T officials asked him to reappear on October 23 for further questioning.
Tools of harassment
Mr. Reddy claimed that the I-T Department and Enforcement Directorate have become tools of the government for harassing political opponents.
He said that the searches at his house did not yield anything and he patiently gave the replies to the all the questions of the investigating officials.
“These raids are being seen by the people as political vendetta and they know the real faces behind the attacks,” he said, after coming out of I-T office in the evening.
He charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao were using the Central government agencies to harass political opponents.
‘Fake IT officials’
Mr. Reddy said that he cannot disclose the details of the investigation and claimed that I-T officials do not have any evidence on ‘so-called’ benami properties and shell companies. He said that KCR’s “private army” is illegally searching the houses of his associates and terrifying people. “I have taken up the ‘fake’ I-T search by police to the notice of the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax,” he said, adding that they assured him of writing a letter to top police officials.
On Thursday last, I-T officials had conducted raids on 15 places, including the premises of Mr. Reddy’s brother and relatives and also at his Kodangal residence, apparently in relation with the cash-for-vote scam.
