Arvind Kejriwal Demands PM Modi’s Apology After IT Dept Raids Premises of Kailash Gahlot

The Income Tax Department raided multiple premises linked to Gahlot, the Delhi Transport minister, in connection with an alleged tax evasion case.

New Delhi: Anguished over the raids by the Income Tax Department on premises linked to his minister Kailash Gahlot, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology to people of the national capital for “constantly troubling their elected government”.

The Income Tax Department (ITD) conducted searches this morning on multiple premises linked to Gahlot, the Delhi Transport minister, in connection with an alleged tax evasion case, officials said.

“Friendship with Neerav Modi and Mallya and raid on us? Modiji you conducted raids on me Satyendar and Manish what happened to those (raids). Nothing was found. So before you go with another raid at least apologise to Delhi people for troubling their elected government,” Kejriwal tweeted.

नीरव मोदी, माल्या से दोस्ती और हम पर रेड?

मोदी जी, आपने मुझ पे, सत्येन्द्र पे और मनीष पे भी तो रेड करवाई थीं? उनका क्या हुआ? कुछ मिला? नहीं मिला? तो अगली रेड करने के पहले दिल्ली वालों से उनकी चुनी सरकार को निरंतर परेशान करने के लिए माफ़ी तो माँग लीजिए? https://t.co/GUGEb0dwL5

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 10, 2018

The officials said at least 16 locations in the national capital and adjoining Gurgaon are being raided by a team of over 60 ITD sleuths and police officials.

The search teams are raiding locations in Delhi’s upscale residential areas like Vasant Kunj and Defence Colony, offices and residences in Paschim Vihar, Najafgarh, Laxmi Nagar and Palam Vihar area in Gurgaon, the officials said.

The searches are being conducted as part of a tax evasion probe against two firms — Brisk Infrastructure and Developers Pvt Ltd and Corporate International Financial Services Limited — that are operated and owned by the family members of Gahlot, they said.

The officials said multiple transactions and alleged under-reporting of profits has led the department to launch a tax evasion probe against the promoters of the two firms and their operations, they said.

While the former company is engaged in the real estate sector, the latter is said to be a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

Gahlot is the minister for transport, law and revenue and is an Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA from the Najafgarh Assembly Constituency.

(With PTI inputs)