IT finds Rs 162 crores in raids on K'taka minister, Congress women's cell chief

Belagavi/Bengaluru: Even as associates of BJP legislator Sanjay Patil came under attack for allegedly tipping off Income Tax officials about the assets of Congress state women's cell chief, Laxmi Hebbalkar, the I-T department came up with the startling revelation that they had detected undisclosed assets worth over Rs 162 crore during searches at the premises of Hebbalkar and small scale industries minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.

They also revealed that they had seized Rs 41 lakh in cash and over a dozen kg in gold and jewellery.

Also read: IT raids spark violence in Belagavi

In what is being interpreted as an act of revenge, a 25-member group led by Mrs Hebbalkar's brother, Chenraj Hattiholi, attacked the residence of Sanath Kumar, director, Gomatesh Vidyapeeth, an institution run by Sanjay Patil, smashed window panes, and left after threatening him with dire consequences.

Sanath Kumar later lodged a complaint with Belagavi police saying the group blamed him for the IT raids on Ms Hebbalkar who had lost to Sanjay Patil in the Assembly elections in 2013.

Meanwhile, in a release, the IT department without revealing names, said they (Hebbalkar and Jarkiholi) followed almost a similar modus operandi for tax evasion.