NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department on Thursday conducted a nationwide raid on more than 50 premises of various companies to probe alleged financial irregularities in Commonwealth Games contracts. Official sources said, over 50 premises spread across Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Kolkata and the National Capital Region were the focus of the raiding teams comprising over 300 officials. According to AIR, a large number of documents pertaining to contracts awarded in connection with the Games have been seized.
The action comes at a time when various other investigating agencies including the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Central Vigilance Commission and also the Prime Minister- appointed Special Committee are looking into various aspects of the alleged financial irregularities. The I-T probe is specifically looking into contracts awarded by the Games Organising Committee , and the role of its officials and contractors, besides charges of bribing. The contractors, who are under the scanner of the I-T Department, were involved in landscaping, beautification of venues, changing of street lamps, laying field tracks and also in the business of sports equipment and gear. The I-T officials are said to have seized documents to detect possible evasion of taxes through over-invoicing and fudging of accounts.
The Income Tax department on October the 19th had carried out similar searches on four major consortia, including those related to BJP member Sudhanshu Mittal.
