DIAL-AAI deal probe: I-T searches in 6 cities

The Income Tax department today carried out searches in half-a-dozen cities in connection with its probe in the alleged financial irregularities and suspected tax evasion in the DIAL-AAI deal relating to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here.
Simultaneous searches and survey operations were carried out in the wee hours today at Delhi, Mumbai, Faridabad, Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Hyderabad, official sources said, adding voluminous documents and computer hardware were seized from these locations.
At least 90 IT officials apart from police personnel are conducting the searches, they said.
Searches were also carried out at the premises of Delhi- based businessman Deepak Talwar while survey operations (where only officer premises are searched) were conducted on the GMR group in Delhi. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is a consortium led by GMR.

While Talwar could not be reached for comments, a DIAL spokesperson said they were extending all cooperation to the tax officials.
"As a routine survey of DIAL JVs, Income Tax officials today visited our office and we extended full cooperation to them. DIAL follows the highest level of ethical and legal standards in its businesses. As a leading airport in the world, we put in place robust institutional measures to monitor as well as implement corporate governance of the highest order," the spokesperson said.

Talwar's name has also figured during the investigations into the alleged tax evasion case of defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari.

Sources said the department launched the action after it received "actionable intelligence" about some alleged financial irregularities in the leasing of land between DIAL and Airports Authority of India in the past, allegedly leading to loss of revenue to government coffers and subsequent evasion of taxes.
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DIAL spokesperson said: "As a routine survey of DIAL JVs, Income Tax officials today visited our office and we extended full cooperation to them.
"DIAL follows the highest level of ethical and legal standards in its businesses. As a leading airport in the world, we put in place robust institutional measures to monitor as well as implement corporate governance of the highest order.