Demonetisation: I-T dept seize Rs 130 cr in cash and jewellery since Nov 8

Cash and jewellery worth Rs 130 crore have been seized and Rs 2,000 crore of undisclosed wealth has been admitted by taxpayers post demonetisation, the I-T Department said on Tuesday, adding that over 30 cases have been referred to Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigations.

The department has carried out "swift investigations" in more than 400 cases since November 8, a Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT) statement said, adding that concerted action is being taken by the department, ED and CBI in detecting malpractices.

"Detecting serious irregularities beyond the Income-Tax Act, the CBDT decided to refer such cases to the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, enabling them to examine the criminal conduct for immediate necessary action. More than 30 such references have already been made to the ED, and are being sent to the CBI," it said.
 

"More than Rs 130 crore in cash and jewellery has been seized and approximately Rs 2,000 crore of undisclosed income has been admitted by the taxpayers," it added

In a major assault on black money and terror funding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 announced demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes and asked holders of such currencies to deposit it in bank accounts by December end.

It is estimated that over Rs 14 lakh crore of such high-value currency notes were in circulation.

As per latest RBI data, Rs 8.45 lakh crore worth of such currencies were deposited in banks till November 27.

Giving details of various cases which have been referred to ED and CBI, the statement said the Mumbai unit has referred a case where Rs 80 lakh in new high denomination currency notes were seized.

The Bengaluru Investigation Unit of the Income Tax Department has sent maximum references (18) to ED. These are cases where undisclosed cash in new high denomination notes was seized by the Department.
The Ludhiana Unit has referred two cases, where seizures

of USD 14,000 and Rs 72 lakh in cash were made. Hyderabad forwarded a case involving seizure of Rs 95 lakh cash from five persons.

Pune's reference stems from a seizure of Rs 20 lakh cash, including Rs 10 lakhs in new currency notes from an unallotted locker of an urban cooperative bank, the key of which was in the possession of the CEO of the bank.

Two cases referred by the Bhopal unit are of jewellers against whom evidence of large scale predating of bills and flouting of PAN reporting norms were detected during searches.

The cases referred from the Delhi unit include the Axis Bank, Kashmiri Gate branch case in which complicity of officers of the bank in malpractices was detected. Acting swiftly, ED has already arrested two bank officials in this regard.

Last week, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had said that it has found "various inconsistencies" in cash deposits in Jan Dhan accounts and detected about Rs 1.64 crore deposited by persons who have never filed returns as their income shown is below the taxable limit.

The investigations were carried out following a sudden surge in deposits in such accounts.

Deposits in about 25.5 crore Jan Dhan accounts increased to Rs 74,321 crore till November 30, as against Rs 45,636.61 crore on November 9.

Deposit of now-defunct current notes in banks were allowed from November 10.