Revenue Department on Tuesday told the Election Commission of India (ECI) that the raids that are being conducted at different places including in Madhya Pradesh are not political in nature, said a source.
As per the source, during a meeting with the ECI, senior Revenue Department officials briefed the poll panel about the process of searches, surveys, and raids. "They told the ECI that raids conducted are not political in nature," said the source.
Moreover, the Revenue Department also claimed that the raids were not the violation of the Model Code of Conduct and disclosure of timing of raid operations, is possible only after the evidence is found, added the source.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Monday had hinted at the transfer of "cash to the headquarter of a major political party" in the national capital while stating that Income Tax (I-T) Department has detected a well-organised racket of a collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore.
Several unaccounted and 'benami' properties at posh locations in the national capital have also been detected. Instances of violations of the Model Code of Conduct are being brought to the notice of the Election Commission of India (ECI), said the Central agency.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's officer on special duty (OSD) Praveen Kakkar's son Salil Kakkar was picked up on Monday by the I-T sleuths for interrogation, while I-T raids continued at various locations across the country including the residence of Ashwin Sharma, an associate of Praveen Kakkar, who had got most of his companies registered in the name of his son Salil.
On Sunday morning, I-T officials carried out raids at the residences of Nath's private secretary, Praveen Kakkar, in Indore and former advisor R K Miglani in Delhi, on charges of alleged tax evasion. I-T officials conducted searches at several locations in Indore, Bhopal, Goa, and NCR.