Premises of ex-CM Yediyurappa's close aide among 50 places raided by I-T sleuths

Bengaluru: Premises of former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's close aide Umesh were among those raided by Income Tax sleuths in the State on Thursday.

I-T officials have conducted coordinated raids at more than 50 places in Karnataka, sources said.

Yediyurappa confirmed that the raid has taken place on the premises on his aide Umesh.

"A raid has taken place at Umesh's residence. He was not working with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai but with me. Truth will come out tomorrow morning and then I will react," Yediyurappa told reporters.

He said I-T officials never spare a person who does wrong things. "They never spare anyone. They have taken action as per law," the former CM said.

When asked the reason behind the raid, Yediyurappa said he was not aware of it and knew only what is reported in the media.

According to him, I-T officials have summoned Umesh at 11 am on Friday, after which he will be able to know the reason behind the raids.

To a question on "political reasons" at a time when the bypolls were round the corner, Yediyurappa said, "I don't want to link the raid with politics. I-T raids are different from politics. I-T raids keep happening normally. There is no need to find reasons unnecessarily."

According to sources in the I-T department, contractors in the Irrigation department were the prime target of the coordinated raids. The I-T sleuths also conducted searches at the residences and offices of a few chartered accountants.

The sources said the raids took place in over 50 places across Bengaluru, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Davangere.