Taxmen visit IPL offices, question Modi

Income Tax officials conducted a survey at three offices of the Indian Premier League and its commissioner Lalit Modi in Mumbai on Thursday to collect details of the bidding process for all teams in the wake of allegations about Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's "links" with the Kochi team. Manish Pachouly reports. Reprieve for Tharoor

Income Tax officials conducted a survey at three offices of the Indian Premier League and its commissioner Lalit Modi in Mumbai on Thursday to collect details of the bidding process for all teams in the wake of allegations about Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's "links" with the Kochi team.

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The officials surveyed the IPL office in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) building at Churchgate, another IPL office at the Four Seasons Hotel, and Modi's office at Nirlon House, Worli, and also obtained information on the share-holding patterns for each team, including that pertaining to the Kochi consortium, Rendezvous Sports World.

The survey was expected to go on till Friday morning. An I-T team also recorded Modi's statement till late in the night at his office, sources said.

A top BCCI source said their offices were not "raided by the I-T department," as was being perceived.

"A team from the Revenue Department came for a survey regarding papers concerning ownership of teams," the source said, stopping short of saying what documents the officials were keen on, but indicating details about the Kochi franchise were sought, and this could not have been done without political clearance.

"The BCCI was happy to co-operate," the official said.

A senior government functionary said, "We're not interested in IPL politics, but as questions have now been raised, we'd like to look at the funding of teams."

HT learnt separately from government sources that the survey was part of a planned operation.

"We have been planning to investigate the issue of ownership in the IPL for some time," said a source. It is expected that teams of officials will start looking through documents immediately, to ascertain what they can ahead of Tharoor's statement to Parliament on Friday.

The I-T team collected images from close circuit television cameras at the three places to find out who all met Modi in the last few months, sources said.

Shishir Jha, spokesman for Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which governs the I-T department, said, "Some I-T officials had gone to IPL (offices) to collect routine information and copies of certain documents".

Another I-T official in Mumbai said, "We wanted to know how the bidding was done, who all took part and how the allotment was done."Heat on

Taxmen visit IPL offices, question Modi

Planned operation

Manish Pachouly

manish.pachouly@hindustantimes.com

Mumbai

Income Tax officials conducted a survey at three offices of the Indian Premier League and its commissioner Lalit Modi in Mumbai on Thursday to collect details of the bidding process for all teams in the wake of allegations about Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's "links" with the Kochi team.

The officials surveyed the IPL office in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) building at Churchgate, another IPL office at the Four Seasons Hotel, and Modi's office at Nirlon House, Worli, and also obtained information on the share-holding patterns for each team, including that pertaining to the Kochi consortium, Rendezvous Sports World.

The survey was expected to go on till Friday morning. An I-T team also recorded Modi's statement till late in the night at his office, sources said.

A top BCCI source said their offices were not "raided by the I-T department," as was being perceived.

"A team from the Revenue Department came for a survey regarding papers concerning ownership of teams," the source said, stopping short of saying what documents the officials were keen on, but indicating details about the Kochi franchise were sought, and this could not have been done without political clearance.

"The BCCI was happy to co-operate," the official said.

A senior government functionary said, "We're not interested in IPL politics, but as questions have now been raised, we'd like to look at the funding of teams."

HT learnt separately from government sources that the survey was part of a planned operation.

"We have been planning to investigate the issue of ownership in the IPL for some time," said a source. It is expected that teams of officials will start looking through documents immediately, to ascertain what they can ahead of Tharoor's statement to Parliament on Friday.

The I-T team collected images from close circuit television cameras at the three places to find out who all met Modi in the last few months, sources said.

Shishir Jha, spokesman for Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which governs the I-T department, said, "Some I-T officials had gone to IPL (offices) to collect routine information and copies of certain documents".

Another I-T official in Mumbai said, "We wanted to know how the bidding was done, who all took part and how the allotment was done."