New Delhi, Jan 6: In the biggest ever disclosure of black money stashed abroad, a Delhi-based businessman has disclosed and surrendered Rs 73 crores to the Income Tax department and also gave details of lockers held in Swiss banks and the US.
The disclosure by the businessman identified as Satish Sawhney came today after a team of Income Tax (I-T) sleuths from the newly created Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) carried out simultaneous searches at his posh Sainik Farms bungalow and South Extension-I premises. Sawhney, an energy sector consultant operating in the country and abroad, is at present under preventive detention of the I-T department.
The I-T team, according to top sources today, has found that Sawhney had five foreign bank accounts—one each in Zurich and Singapore and three in the US—besides being in the possession of eight ‘almirah' sized lockers in banks in Delhi.
“Sawhney has surrendered Rs 73 crore to the criminal investigation unit of the department. The searches on him were conducted after specific inputs were received about him,” a top IT official said.
Jewellery worth Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 18 lakh in cash has been seized in the operation conducted by a team of about 20 officials, the official added.
Sources however said the Sawhney case had no links with the classified list of bank accounts of some individuals received from abroad.
The IT team which swooped down on the Sainik Farms and South Extension-I premises of the businessman yesterday were shocked to find documents relating to the foreign bank accounts cleverly concealed in an SUV parked inside the bungalow.
Eight bank accounts in Delhi have been sealed by the I-T department after the conclusion of searches today, sources said.
“The bank accounts are all Delhi-based and are with ICICI, HDFC and SBI. They will be opened shortly,” the sources added.
The DCI has approached the CBDT to forward its requests to Switzerland, USA and Singapore to get details of the foreign bank accounts.
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