Page 45 - 31MAR2019E

uttar pradesh
UP Bureaucrat grilled over tax evasion

IT raids on Netram’s properties suspected as an attempt to arm Prevention of Money Laundering Act
twist Mayawati ahead of Lok Sabha polls, writes mudit mathur to investigate the instances after taking
cognisance of a 2014 state vigilance
he Income Tax teams re- tion Commission of India announcing department complaint.
cently raided the residence seven-phase polls in the country and The complaint was filed under the
and more than 12 premises, the push for a grand opposition to Prevention of Corruption Act and vari-
interconnected with alleged counter the BJP has intensified since ous sections of IPC and it pertained to
T tax evasion to the tune of then. alleged financial irregularities in the
100 Crores by a powerful bureaucrat Both the former chief ministers, memorial constructions, including
Netram (IAS 1979 Batch) who was Mayawati and Akhilesh have earlier statues of Kanshi Ram, BSP founder,
considered to be a blue-eyed bureau- accused the ruling BJP federal govern- and the party’s poll symbol ‘Elephant’,
crat, of former Uttar Pradesh Chief ment of using investigative agencies during Mayawati’s regime between
Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party to target political rivals and punish the 2007 and 2012.
chief Mayawati. Coincidently when opposition “gathbandhan” or alliance. The department is looking at
the teams were busy in its search “Petty politics and political conspiracy instances of alleged tax evasion by
operations Mayawati issued significant are not new for the BJP. The people of making bogus entries of transactions
statement reiterating that her party the country have understood it and or businesses worth aprox. 100 crores.
will not go for an alliance with The raids supposed to be also
the Indian National Congress linked with some suspected
for the upcoming Lok Sabha cash deposits made post-
polls in any state. demonetisation. The teams
The Income tax teams have also seized his accounts
conducted simultaneous raids, along with his daughter in
allegedly, to find out details State Bank of India Gomti
of unaccounted money and Nagar branch, Lucknow.
trails of money laundering One leading cloth merchant
transactions through fictitious, firm “Garah Bhandar” of
sham and bogus firms. Political Vishnu Ballabh Rastogi and
observers view it as a well- famous “Khunkhunji jewel-
planned arm-twisting attempt ers” were also raided for their
to scuttle back channel efforts close proximity with the
to reach electoral settlement bureaucrat.
with congress party to pose a Netram was secretary to
united fight against saffron BJP. then Uttar Pradesh Chief
Mayawati in a statement to Minister Mayawati during
media said, “It is being made 2002-03, her third stint in
clear again that the Bahujan Samaj they will teach the BJP a lesson in the power in the state. The officer served
Party (BSP) will not have any elec- Lok Sabha polls,” said Mayawati. in various capacities in UP, including
toral alliance with the Congress in any Meanwhile, the Income Tax Depart- heading the excise, sugar industries
state.” “The SP-BSP alliance is perfect ment searched a dozen properties in and cane department, stamp and
enough to defeat the BJP, especially in Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata linked to registration, food and civil supplies de-
Uttar Pradesh,” she added. Referring a retired IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh partment. He also served as additional
to her party’s pre-poll alliance with cadre, who served in top positions dur- cabinet secretary in her last tenure and
the SP in Uttar Pradesh, “It is based on ing Mayawati’s chief minister ship, in retired in 2014. It is learnt that inves-
mutual respect and honest intentions,” connection with an alleged tax evasion tigation agencies could enlarge their
she remarked. The SP-BSP has come and money laundering case, officials scope if they get sufficient proofs of
together 24 years after the shameful said. money laundering and his role in it.
Guesthouse outrage that turned best They said the premises raided by the Now all eyes are waiting to see the
friends into sworn enemies. department are linked to 1979-batch list of candidates declared by BJP as
Mayawati repeated that while sev- Indian Administrative Service officer thereafter many political heavy weight
eral parties were eager for an alliance Net Ram, now retired. Though the leaders are expected to switch their
with the BSP, her party would not do details of outcome of raids have not parties to keep their political existence
anything for mere electoral gains as it been disclosed by raiding teams but alive.
could “harm the BSP movement.” The it appears that Enforcement Direc-
statement comes days after the Elec- tor has filed a criminal case under the letters@tehelka.com

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