Chennai: Income-Tax officials on Tuesday morning began searches in more than 40 locations of SNJ Distilleries Private Limited in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. The companies were raided after reports of tax evasion and unaccounted income had surfaced.
According to sources, as many as 150 officials have been involved in the search at the head office of the SNJ group in Canal Bank road in C.I.T Nagar in Nandanam, going books of accounts and other documents, looking for any illegal or benami deals.
A senior official from the I-T wing said that, based on specific information about tax evasion and unaccounted income in the company for three years, raids were conducted at 40 offices and residences of the company and some of its directors in four states..
“The searches are taking place not just in the distilleries but on the premises of some of the group companies too,” said the official.
Details about money and documents seized would be known later, the official said, adding that the raids would continue for two days. SNJ Distillers Private Limited is a private company incorporated on April 17, 2008. The group manufactures various types of liquor like beer, brandy, whisky and rum.
The directors of SNJ Distillers are Anitha Nagalingam Jayamurugan, Geetha Jayamurugan, Nandini Jayamurugan and Nagalingam Jayamurugan. The SNJ group is well-known in Tamil Nadu as they were also one of the sponsors of the Chennai Super Kings IPL team in 2019.
