Income tax raids on Mayawati's former secretary over Rs 90 crore tax evasion

LUCKNOW: Income tax teams of Delhi unit on Tuesday raided two establishments in the capital and Lucknow, the premises of retired IAS officer Netram who was principal secretary when Mayawati was Uttar Pradesh CM (2002-03) for tax evasion of Rs 90 crore. Searches were also conducted in 11 other places, including Mumbai and Kolkata.

The agency claimed to have found details of more than Rs 90 crore of book entries, suspected to be linked to cash transactions. Officials are investigating alleged tax evasion through these bogus entries. Part of the suspected cash transactions was done during the period of demonetisation, sources said.

Sleuths claimed the 1979 batch IAS officer, Netram, allegedly evaded tax by making bogus entries in the name of a Kolkata-based company.

IT personnel also said cash deposits by the IAS officer after demonetisation is also under the scanner. Officials checked bank accounts of Netram’s kin at a Gomtinagar bank and seized “incriminating documents”. The officer served as principal secretary in departments of sugar industries, cane department, stamp and registration, food and civil supplies during the Mayawati government.

The I-T team also carried out searches in the house of businessman Vallabh Rastogi, owner of ‘Gadha Bhandar’, and city-based Khunkhunji Jewellers for tax evasion.