I-T dept detects irregularities related to Sena minister Anil Parab’s Dapoli resort

The Income Tax (I-T) department on Thursday said tax-related irregularities were detected during the searches carried out earlier this month at over two dozen premises belonging to individuals and businessmen closely associated with Shiv Sena leaders over suspected tax evasion

The Income Tax (I-T) department on Thursday said tax-related irregularities were detected during the searches carried out earlier this month at over two dozen premises belonging to individuals and businessmen closely associated with Shiv Sena leaders over suspected tax evasion.

Transport minister Anil Parab at Vidhan Bhavan. HT File

The agency did not name any individuals in its release, but department sources confirmed the names of people who faced action.

The investigation wing of the I-T department conducted searches on March 8 at 26 places in Mumbai, Pune, Sangli, and Ratnagiri.

Sources said the searches have unearthed tax irregularities related to purchase of land at Dapoli and subsequent construction of a resort on it allegedly by transport minister Anil Parab.

The I-T department said it was found that a parcel of land at Dapoli was allegedly purchased by Parab in 2017 for a consideration of ₹1 crore, but it was registered in 2019. This land was subsequently sold to one of the people covered in the searches in 2020 for a consideration of ₹1.10 crore.

In between, a resort was built on the land from 2017 to 2020. By the time the parcel of land was registered in the name of the said politician, substantial construction of the resort was completed. Later, the resort was almost complete when the property was allegedly sold by the politician to cable operator Sadanand Kadam in 2020.

“It transpires that the relevant facts about the construction of the resort were not intimated to the registration authorities and accordingly, the stamp duty was paid only for the land on both occasions - in 2019 and in 2020,” an I-T official said.

Evidence found during the search revealed that the construction of the resort started in 2017 and more than ₹6 crore was spent on its construction. The cost of construction of the structure has not been accounted for either by the person searched or the politician in their books of account, the tax agency said.

Searches on the premises of deputy RTO Bajrang Kharmate have revealed that he, his family members, and relatives have amassed huge wealth in the form of properties at prime localities in Pune, Sangli and Baramati, over a period of 10 years. Kharmate is also believed to be close to Parab. Last year, the Enforcement Directorate recorded statements of Parab and Kharmate in the cash-for-transfer and Anil Deshmukh corruption case.

The I-T department has also not included the name of Kharmate in its official statement.

The Kharmate family owns one bungalow and one farm house in Pune, one farm house in Tasgaon, two bungalows in Sangli, two commercial complexes having Tanishq and CaratLane showrooms, five flats in different locations in Pune, one flat in Navi Mumbai, vacant plots in Sangli, Baramati, Pune, and has acquired more than 100 acres of agricultural land in the last seven years, said I-T officers wishing not to be named.

A detailed examination of sources of acquisition of the properties and the amounts spent on the lavish interiors of shops and bungalows is under progress. The Kharmate family owns many businesses, including showrooms of electronic products, Tanishq showrooms, civil construction business, real estate, and pipe manufacturing business.

It is found that the construction business, being run by the relatives of the employee, received many contracts from the state government, the agency said.

A search has also unearthed evidence of inflation of contract expenses through bogus purchase and bogus sub-contracts aggregating to ₹27 crore. Evidence of unaccounted cash receipt of ₹2 crore in sale of land in Baramati has also been detected.

“The tax agency is now investigating the alleged tax evasion in the construction business. During the searches, IT sleuths have seized ₹66 lakh in cash. Digital data and documentary evidence seized are being analysed,” added the statement, released by Surabhi Ahluwalia, commissioner of I-T (media and technical policy) and official spokesperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes.