Mumbai: Income Tax deparment officials have rubbished any connection between Gujarat chief Minister Narendra Modi's address to diamond merchants and Thursday's raids at diamond bourses, clarifying that the raids were a part of a continuous process.
According to officials, after conducting raids in Kolkata and Jaipur, the raids were conducted in Mumbai and Surat as part of the series.
Those targeted in the raids were mainly businessmen who made fake invoices and bogus bills and not diamond merchants, said a senior Income Tax official.
Swatantra Kumar, Director General ( Investigation), Income Tax, said, “We have not raided merchants. We have mainly raided the people who provided accommodation entries to diamond merchants and others in Mumbai and Surat.”
Narendra Modi joked while addressing a group of diamond merchants that one of them could be the next target of the Income Tax department, officials raided offices and homes of diamond businessmen in Mumbai and Surat
It was only a joke when Gujarat Chief Minister and the Bharatiya Janta Party's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, while addressing a group of diamond merchants in the city, said that some of them could be on the radar of the Income Tax department.
But less than 72 hours later, I- T officials raided more than 50 offices in Mumbai and Surat, belonging to the city's top diamond businessmen. According to sources, officials raided offices and houses at Panchratna, Bharat Diamond Bourse at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Prasad Chambers, Opera House, Zaveri Bazaar and Govandi. More than 70 officials conducted the raids yesterday; the raids are still on today as well.
On September 30, Modi had come to the city to inaugurate the Diamond Hall at Bharat Diamond Bourse in BKC. The function was attended by diamond traders from across the city.
Three days ago, Narendra Modi had joked while addressing a group of diamond merchants that one of them could be the next target of the Income Tax department.
IT was only a joke when Modi, while addressing a group of diamond merchants in the city, said that some of them could be on the radar of the Income Tax department.
But less than 72 hours later, Income Tax officials raided more than 50 offices in Mumbai and Surat, belonging to the city's top diamond businessmen.
According to sources, officials raided offices and houses at Panchratna, Bharat Diamond Bourse at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Prasad Chambers, Opera House,
Zaveri Bazaar and Govandi.
More than 70 officials conducted the raids yesterday; the raids are still on today as well.
On September 30, Modi had come to the city to inaugurate the Diamond Hall at Bharat Diamond Bourse in BKC. The function was attended by diamond traders from across the city.
