Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday appeared before Income Tax sleuths at the regional office in Bengaluru for questioning. The I-T Department, that had conducted search and seizure operations from August 2-5 against the Minister, had issued summons to him and his associates to appear before them for questioning on Monday.
Amidst reports that the Minister had sought two days’ time — till Wednesday — and would not appear for questioning on Monday, Mr. Shivakumar walked into the I-T regional office on Infantry Road around 12.30 p.m. Sources said that the questioning of the Minister had already begun.
I-T sleuths had uncovered a huge cache of documents that unearthed undisclosed income of nearly ₹300 crore during the marathon raids on the Minister, his family members and several firms across sectors that allegedly had business links with him. The department is yet to issue a formal statement on the raids and there is no clarity on what part of the undisclosed income so unearthed belongs to the Minister. During the raids, ₹8 crore cash was recovered from the Minister’s New Delhi residence in Safdarjung Road.
The I-T sleuths have audited the documents recovered at various premises during the four-day raids in relation to the declaration of assets and I-T returns filed by Mr. Shivakumar from 2013-17, marking out any undisclosed income. The Minister is expected to be grilled on these properties and income, sources said. He is also yet to provide an explanation for the seized cash, sources added.