I-T raids on premises linked to Chhattisgarh bureaucrat

THE CONGRESS CALLED THE SEARCHES AN ATTEMPT TO DESTABILISE THE STATE GOVT

RAIPUR: Income tax department officials were on Thursday conducting searches at seven locations in Chhattisgarh, including two places linked to the deputy secretary in the chief minister’s office -- a move the ruling Congress said was an attempt to destabilise the state government.

“Search operations of the I-T department are going on at seven locations in Chhattisgarh, including two locations linked to Saumya Chaurasia,” a senior Chhattisgarh government official said, asking not to be named. Chaurasia works as the deputy secretary in the chief minister’s office. An officer of the Chhattisgarh Administrative Services (CAS), Chaurasia joined the CM’S office soon after Bhupesh Baghel took oath in December, 2018.

While she was not available for a comment, Congress spokesperson RP Singh said: “This is an attempt of the central government to disturb the Congress government in Chhattisgarh. They have conducted a search in 2020 in Chaurasia’s house but found nothing and now they are again doing it. The aim is to mentally harass the official of Chhattisgarh and nothing else.”

The searches, which were being conducted by I-T officials requisitioned from outside the state, began at around 6am, people aware of developments said.

The CM’S office and other government officials did not respond over the searches.

This is the second time Chaurasia is being raided by tax officials in a little over two years, a person aware of the matter said. Chaurasia’s Bhilai house was first searched by income tax officials in February 2020, prompting Baghel to send a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he called “unconstitutional” and “politically motivated” raids in the state.

Baghel’s letter alleged that the raids coincided with a criminal investigation initiated by his government into acts of corruption under the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

In a statement on March 2, 2020, the Union finance ministry said the raids in Chhattisgarh were carried out on individuals, hawala dealers and businessmen in Raipur on the basis of credible inputs and evidence of generation of huge unaccounted cash from liquor and mining business and its transfer to public servants. It was not clear if the latest searches were being conducted as part of the investigation into the 2020 case.

The five other locations are linked to Surya Kant Tiwari, who is involved mining-related businesses. He could not be reached for a comment.