IT Raids at Janardhana Reddy’s Offices After Rs 500-Crore Wedding

The mining baron will also need to answer a questionnaire by the IT dept on the Rs 500-crore wedding expenses.

File photo of Janardhana Reddy. (Photo: PTI)

Days after mining baron and former Karnataka minister G Janardhana Reddy organised his daughter’s big-fat wedding, the IT department officials turned up at his offices in Ballari district with a questionnaire for the expenses incurred.

Around 2 pm on Monday, a few government officials entered his office located at the premises of the Obalapuram Mining Company office building, near his house on Siruguppa road.

The News Minute has a copy of the IT department’s notice and questionnaire.

In a document dated 21 November, the Office of the Assistant Director of Income Tax (Investigations) in Bengaluru issued Janardhana a notice under Section 133A(5) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and told him to furnish the details of the expenses in the prescribed format. He is legally bound to reply to that questionnaire before 25 November.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

Source of Expenses?

Mining baron Janardhana Reddy with family. (Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

Among the details sought are the number of events organised, the number of guests who turned up, the total expenses for each function and the “immediate source of such expenditure”. The questionnaire also asked for information on the event managers and individuals to whom payments had been made.

Reddy is also supposed to give a detailed break-up of expenses on decorations, entertainment, transportation, photography, videography, religious functions, pandals, catering, security, venue, invitation cards, etc. Information on jewellery and clothing purchased for the family and relatives also needs to be submitted.

The department has also asked for details of those bank accounts from which money was withdrawn, the source of cash, debit cards and credit cards from which payments were made, and also information on outstanding payments.

‘Ill-Gotten Wealth’

Since his release on bail, Reddy is not permitted to visit Ballari district, where he was accused of carrying out illegal mining operations through his companies. However, he had obtained permission from the Supreme Court to visit the city till 21 November in light of his daughter’s wedding.

There was a lot of comment that Reddy had organised the wedding with allegedly ‘ill-gotten’ wealth. Janardhana Reddy is currently being investigated for illegal mining and corruption by the CBI. An RTI activist based out of Bengaluru had approached the IT department asking them to probe the source of the wedding fund.

Several politicians had decried the vulgarly lavish wedding. However, many politicians, including BJP state president and former chief minister BS Yeddyuappa, attended the wedding. Yeddyurappa had stated beforehand that he would attend the wedding as it was a private function.

In an ironic move, Janardhana Reddy had gifted the guests who came for his daughter’s wedding a pair of saplings. Former Karnataka Lokyukta N Santhosh Hegde had, in the report on illegal mining in the state, alleged that mining activities by various companies, had wrecked havoc on the environment of the district.

Also read: Having Destroyed Ballari’s Forests, Reddy Gifts Saplings To Guests