The Income Tax Department on Thursday raided businesses associated with family members of Maharastra deputy CM Ajit Pawar and some real estate developers for alleged tax evasion.
The intelligence was developed over 6 months as per the Central Board of Direct Taxes. The firms which were raided are said to be owned by people in close contact with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
Income Tax Department raided offices and residences of the promoters of Dynamix and DB Realty. Raids are also going on at sugar mills funded by Dynamix and DB Realty. Around 50 locations in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and other places are being raided, as per the sources.
Pawar said, “While it is true that the I-T Department has raided some companies related to me. Given that I’m the Finance Minister, I am very well acquainted with income tax rules and have always maintained stern fiscal discipline. Hence, my companies have never defaulted on paying taxes.”
The question of whether or not the raids had a political motive or whether the authorities were after any other information could be answered only by the department, he stated. He failed to understand the reason behind the raids, he remarked.
“I only feel sad that the authorities have raided companies belonging to three of my sisters… One of them stays in Kolhapur and the other two in Pune. Why did they do this, I cannot fathom? They have been conducting their businesses very smoothly for several years,” Pawar maintained.
“If raids were conducted because they are my sisters, then people of the state should think about the level the central agencies are being misused,” said Pawar.
It’s not new.