Chennai: Sleuths from Income-Tax department carried out nationwide searches on Wednesday at the offices and premises of the Buhari Group and ETA Star Group of Companies for suspected tax evasion. Nothing was seized until the time of going to press.
According to sources, the simultaneous raids began at 5.30 am and went on late into the night and they are likely to last until Saturday. “A total of 74 places including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai of the said groups were covered during the raids. Out of the 74 locations, 52 are in TN and the premises of the groups in Chennai, Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin were subjected to search too. The search will continue for the next 3 days since it's a conglomerate we would require time to check their books,” I-T official said.
“The purview of the raids is limited to tax evasion and is not in any way connected to money laundering, or demonetisation drive", the official added. The official also clarified that it was not connected to the recent I-T raids at the premises of former Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao. However, the official did not reveal the names of the divisions of the groups which are under the scanner.
The residences of the group's former Vice-Chairman B.S. Abdur Rehman in Subbarao Avenue and Nungambakkam were searched with armed police from the City Police standing guard. The ETA Star office located in Citi Centre on RK Salai and Highpowerv Import and Exports P. Ltd office premises in Logiah Colony, Saligramam are among the other locations being searched in the City.
According to the group's website, ETA is a conglomerate in the U.A.E. with expertise ranging from Civil Construction to Electro Mechanical, Power Projects, Elevator Engineering, Bulk Commodities Trading, Automobile Trading, Real Estate and Facilities Management. Income-tax sleuths had seized Rs 131 crore cash and 177 kg gold during raids at the premises of Tamil Nadu PWD sand contractor Sekhar Reddy and his associates in the second week of December. The seizure had later led the income-tax sleuths to the doorsteps of Rama Mohana Rao and his son Vivek Papisetty.
