Taxmen link 2 more ministers to IPL

The income tax department has come across details of investments by two Union ministers in two IPL teams. A senior I-T officer in Delhi, who is involved in the probe, said the ministers’ names cropped up in Mumbai while the department was scrutinising documents of IPL franchises. Manish Pachouly reports.

The income tax (I-T) department has come across details of investments by two Union ministers in two Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.

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A senior I-T officer in Delhi, who is involved in the probe, said the ministers’ names cropped up in Mumbai while the department was scrutinising documents of IPL franchises following the controversy over the Kochi team.

Shishir Jha, spokesperson for the Central Board of Direct Taxes, which governs the department, refused to comment.

According to I-T officers in Delhi, one of the ministers made the investment through a close confidante. A preliminary probe of records of this confidante led to the minister. The other minister belongs to the same party, an important ally of the Congress in the UPA.

“We got to know about the ministers as those who invested on their behalf did not have enough funds on their own,” the officer said.

I-T officers have called for investment details of these franchises. “We have also forwarded the information to the finance ministry,” the officer said.

The officer said only a detailed probe could yield evidence against the ministers.