Gupta homes in India raided

– Indian tax inspectors yesterday raided premises of the Gupta family at the centre of a corruption scandal involving former president Jacob Zuma, on suspicion they were bringing money into their native country, an official said.

South Africa’s anti-graft watchdog has accused the India-born Gupta brothers of using their friendship with Zuma to influence policy and amass wealth.

Zuma and the Gupta brothers deny any wrongdoing.

Amrendra Kumar, a senior income tax official in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, said the Gupta brothers were suspected of finding ways to bring “illicit money” they had earned abroad into India.

“We want to look into blocking that way,” Kumar said by telephone, adding that he was involved in ongoing raids. “They make all kind of illegal money there outside, these are the allegations which we want to look into,” he said.

The Gupta brothers – Atul, Ajay and Rajesh – came to SA in the early 1990s and built a commercial empire stretching from computers to mining and media. Last month, the police raided Gupta properties in SA as part of an investigation into their dealings.

SA’s chief prosecutor declared Ajay a “fugitive from justice” after he failed to report to police investigators.

Yesterday, Indian officials raided Gupta residences in the town of Saharanpur and the nearby town of Dehradun, as well as one of their offices in New Delhi, Kumar said. –