Several incriminating documents establishing tax evasion impounded
Action against more secessionists, others likely shortly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 27: Close on the heels of National Investigation Agency (NIA) action, the sleuths of Income Tax Department from different parts of North India today carried out simultaneous raids in the premises of a separatist, prominent hotelier and a businessman in and around Srinagar city and laid hands on incriminating documents establishing evasion of huge tax.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that on the basis of credible information gathered by using different means the sleuths of Investigation Wing of the Income Tax Department from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi reached Srinagar this morning and conducted raids in the premises of a separatist Nayeem Ahmad Khan, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir National Front, owner of Golden Tulip Hotel and a businessman having an office in 7 Square Mall.
A large number of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Para-Military Forces personnel were deployed on the request of the Income Tax Department at all these locations in Hyderpora and Barzulla areas so as to check any sort of resistance from the persons in whose premises the raids were conducted.
During the raids which continued for several hours the sleuths of Income Tax Department laid hands on a number of incriminating documents establishing evasion of huge tax. “These documents will be put to minute scrutiny following which necessary action under the provisions of Income Tax Act will be initiated against them”, sources informed.
They disclosed that the businessman and the hoteliers were not paying tax in commensurate to their income during the past many years thereby openly violating the provisions of the Income Tax Act. “They were under the impression that Income Tax Department will not dare to lay hands on them but their myth was broken by the taxmen by conducting raids in their premises”, sources informed.
“As per the preliminary scrutiny of the accounts books of their business activities they were supposed to pay good amount as income tax but they were found concealing the profits by manipulating the figures in order to dodge the taxmen”, they further informed.
As far as separatist Nayeem Ahmad Khan is concerned, sources said, “the pass books of the bank accounts on the name of Khan and his family members were impounded by the Income Tax sleuths and exact picture vis-a-vis evasion of tax would come to the fore within next some days when the detailed scrutiny will come to an end”.
It is for the first time during the past nearly two decades that Income Tax Department has carried out raid in the premises of any separatist leader in Kashmir valley. The previous such action was taken in the year 2002 when the taxmen had raided the premises of some separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and seized cash and documents.
At that time the raids had led to the recovery of huge cash, vouchers relating to the purchase of large number of jewellery items and documents relating to the purchase of properties in Rawalpora on Srinagar Airport road from the premises of Geelani, sources said.
Sources further said that the Investigation Wing of the department has received explicit directions from the senior functionaries of the department for leaving no stone unturned to unearth tax evasion by traders, businessman and others in Kashmir valley and today’s action was follow-up of such directives.
It is pertinent to mention here that yesterday National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at the residences of around half a dozen separatist leaders and took away vital documents in connection with terror funding case registered in 2017.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
