I-T dept nets 3 people with disproportionate assets

A small town politician Hemant Kumar Jaiswal, who became chairman of a Siddarthnagar Nagar panchayat in 2012, now owns a gas agency, petrol pump and several liquor shops . He has amassed at least 12 properties worth ₹15 crore and has stowed away over ₹2 crore cash in his four bank accounts.

The family of a salaried UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN) general manager Shiv Ashray Sharma owns a series of super luxury vehicles. His family owns a factory, a huge luxury farmhouse, a guest house and many more assets that he amassed in the past few years.

“The two have’t hit any jackpot. It is ‘corruption’ that transformed ordinary men into billionaires,” said Jai Nath Verma, a senior income tax officer in Lucknow. He said the IT sleuths had carried out searches in the houses and other properties of at least three government servants, a contractor and a politician in the past 24 hours.

He said during the search of the properties of Jaiswal on Tuesday night, the IT team found that he had amassed huge wealth in the past four years. He said Jaiswal was allegedly involved in siphoning off government funds while being chairman of nagar panchayat. Further probe in the matter is going on.

Verma said similarly, the six properties allegedly owned by the UPRNN general manager Shiv Ashray Sharma, posted in Dehradun for the past five years, were also raided. He said the properties of one of his close associates Amit Sharma, a contractor and relative of a retired IAS officer were also searched. He said the duo was under the IT scanner for the past several months.

He said Sharma allegedly earned a huge amount by misusing his position as project manager and general manager in UPRNN and awarded various contracts to his close aide in lieu of illegal gratification. He said the same money was utilised to purchase various immovable properties in the name of his family members, and also to lead a lavish lifestyle.

Verma said Sharmas owned costly cars such as Range Rover, Audi and BMW and frequently visited foreign countries on vacations. He said Sharma had acquired a farm house on Ponta Road, Dakrani, Dehradun, measuring over hundreds of bighas in the name of his siblings. He said at least 15 costly LED TVs, ranging from ₹ 50,000 to ₹ 5 lakh and costly furniture worth over R50 lakh was found at his farmhouse and house. Moreover, Sharma had set up a personal gym measuring 1500 square feet with high end equipments worth several lakh , he added.

The officer said discreet inquiries also reveal that he had acquired various other properties in other cities in the name of his family members. He acquired 5 bigha of land in the industrial area in the name of his son.

He said the paper related to an agreement to purchase a farm house of 60 bighas worth ₹ 10.5 crore was also found from his house.

Similarly, the house of a woman assistant RTO Sunita Verma posted in Kanpur, was also searched. Verma said she amassed properties and valuables worth ₹ 83 lakh, cash worth ₹15 lakh and around 400 grammes gold . He said further proceedings were going on.