Govt hammer falls on benamidars: Tax sleuths attach Rs 35 bn in properties

A law to prevent benami property has started yielding results. Properties worth over Rs 35 billion in more than 900 cases have been attached under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, largely due to the efforts of the Income Tax (I-T) department. 

These include immovable properties such as land, flats, and shops worth more than Rs 29 billion. 

Jewellery, vehicles, and deposits in bank accounts constitute the remaining properties attached.

In five cases, the provisional attachments of benami properties, amounting to more than Rs 1.5 billion, have been confirmed by the adjudicating authority. 

In one such case, it