Chief Minister Siddaramaiah scoffed off the reports appearing in a section of media that the officials, whose houses were raided by the Income Tax department, were close to him.
“How can they be close to us,” he asked, while responding to questions by presspersons here on Friday.
Mr. Siddaramaiah stopped in Koppal for a brief while on the way from Belagavi to Raichur to inaugurate the 82nd Akhila Bharat Sahitya Sammelana.
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“I came to know about the income tax raid on the residences of a few officials through media. Who told you that they were close to me. Don’t spread gossips. The raid was conducted by officials of Income Tax. Let them take legal action against the officials. Those who are guilty will have to face the consequences,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that a search by the Income Tax officials at the residences of two Chief Engineers of the Public Works Department and three others linked to them, had led to recovery of assets worth Rs. 6 crores, including Rs. 4.7 crore in cash, that too, in new currency and over 14 kg of gold and jewellery. A section of media had reportedly projected that the Chief Engineers were very close to Chief Minister and PWD Minister.