Income Tax dept raids on premises of individuals close to Shiv Sena ministers

The searches began at the premises of businessman Sadanand Kadam, who is said to be a friend of a Shiv Sena minister, in Mumbai

The Income Tax department on Tuesday conducted searches at about 20 premises of individuals and businessmen believed to be closely associated with Maharashtra ministers and Shiv Sena leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Parab, people familiar with the matter said. The ruling party dubbed the raids an “attack” from Delhi.

Security personnel outside the premises of Shiv Sena’s Yeshwant Jadhav during Income Tax department searches last week. (HT PHOTO/File)

The premises include 12 in Mumbai and the raids were being conducted over suspected tax evasion. At some premises, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were also deputed at the time of searches, the people added.

The searches began at the Andheri residence of cable businessman Sadanand Kadam, who is said to be a friend of Parab. The premises of one Rahul Kanal, a trustee of Shri Sai Sansthan Trust and a key member of the Yuva Sena, and Bajrang Kharamate, deputy RTO officer, were also raided by the I-T. Parab’s chartered accountant also saw raids by the tax agency.

The searches are likely to continue on Wednesday, one of the people cited above said.

Aaditya Thackeray called the central agency the “campaign agents” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Even before this, such attacks have happened in Maharashtra. This has been going on ever since they sensed that elections are around the corner, and when they feared the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Such attacks have happened in Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, West Bengal and now since elections are due in Maharashtra, the central agencies, which are part of BJP’s election machinery, are here. Maharashtra will not bow down or stop,” Aaditya Thackeray, son of chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said.

This is “no longer a democracy”, he added.

The raids came a week after the department searched the premises of Shiv Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav, who heads the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s standing committee. After three days of raids at over 35 locations, the department alleged Jadhav, his associates, and some civic contractors have acquired three dozen immovable properties worth ₹130 crore. These contractors are suspected to have evaded income tax of about ₹200 crore. The agency has accused them of involvement in hawala transactions and routing the “ill-gotten money” abroad.

Sena MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said such raids are expected to continue till the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) elections are held. “Today, raids by the Income Tax department are happening at several places. We think that till BMC elections happen, such raids will take place in every ward [of Mumbai],” he said.

No matter how much pressure is put, the MVA government will not bow down before the Centre, Raut said.

“No matter how many conspiracies, how much might you put in to defame us, but everyone right from the chief minister to the party worker, nobody will back down. The government will remain strong. These actions against us are done keeping the BMC elections in mind, but it will boomerang on you (BJP),” he claimed.