Nationwide I-T searches on Games contractors

Income tax (I-T) officials on Thursday searched the offices of four firms that executed major contracts for the Commonwealth Games, across 50 locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Jamshedpur.

Income tax (I-T) officials on Thursday searched the offices of four firms that executed major contracts for the Commonwealth Games, across 50 locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Jamshedpur.

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The searches were part of the multi-agency probe launched by the government into alleged financial irregularities in preparations for the October Games.

Some 300 tax sleuths went through paper work and data stored in computers of Shiv Naresh Sports, Sweka Powertech Engineering, Satya Prakash Constructions and MBL Infrastructure. These firms had won contracts to lay synthetic tracks, put up street light poles and carry out landscaping and civil construction at various Games venues, said an I-T department source.

"A large number of documents, including those relating to contracts and sub-contracts awarded in connection with the Games, have been seized," the source said.

Officials are scrutinising bills, income tax returns and bank accounts.

This was the second round of tax raids on firms involved with the Games. Last week, tax officials had searched the premises of businessmen connected to some of the consortiums that carried out Games contracts, including those of BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal.