Karnataka: I-T Raids on Parameshwara Still on; Rs 5 Cr Cash Seized

The Income Tax Department has seized about Rs 5 crore cash from various premises across Karnataka.

Karnataka Congress chief G Parameshwara.

(Photo courtesy: The News Minute)

The Income Tax Department has seized about Rs 5 crore cash from various premises while conducting searches on properties of former Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and others, officials said on Friday, 11 October, according to PTI.

The raids which started early morning on Thursday in nearly 30 locations across the state are still going on in 25 places, according to officials.

In coordinated raids, more than 300 Income Tax sleuths swooped down on premises linked to two prominent Congress leaders in Karnataka – the former deputy chief minister and former MP RL Jalappa's son J Rajendra, PTI reported. The raids are in connection with a multi-crore tax evasion case linked to the NEET exams, officials said.

Addressing media persons outside his residence on Thursday, Parameshwara had said that he had no idea what the sleuths were searching for but he had nothing to hide.

“if they find something against me that is illegal, that i have concealed, I should be held accountable. Can I ask them to stop? Let them conduct their search,” he said.

Besides raiding the office, residence and institutions belonging to Parameshwara, the I-T officials also searched the residence of his brother G Shivaprasad and personal assistant Ramesh, sources in the department told PTI.

While Parameshwara's family runs the Siddhartha Group of Institutions, which was established by his father HM Gangadharaiah 58 years ago, Rajendra runs the RL Jalappa Institute of Technology at Doddaballapura and Kolar. Raids reportedly took place in Tumakuru, Nelamangala, Bengaluru, Kolar and Chikkaballapura.

(With inputs from PTI)