Income Tax officials in Kolkata have initiated raids and search operations at 20 locations in and around the city since Monday morning. One of the locations under scrutiny is the residence of a prominent businessman on Raja Santosh Road in Alipore, South Kolkata. Simultaneous operations are also underway at the businessman’s office in Chetla, South Kolkata, although the officials have not disclosed the businessman’s identity.
According to sources familiar with the situation, these operations are in response to allegations of income tax evasion and discrepancies in assets compared to known sources of income involving the businessman and his entity. Additionally, another team of officials is conducting similar operations at a residential flat in a high-end housing complex in Action Area-III of New Town, located on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
The raids are not limited to residential properties, as officials are also searching three offices situated at Ecospace in New Town, Park Street in central Kolkata, and near Gurusaday Dutta Road in South Kolkata. These actions are part of investigations into significant income tax evasion, unaccounted assets, and discrepancies in asset-to-income ratios.
Furthermore, another ongoing raid and search operation is taking place at the residence of a real estate developer in Barasat, the district headquarters of North 24 Parganas. Each team of IT officials is accompanied by central armed police forces personnel during these operations. Despite the ongoing actions, officials have chosen to remain silent on any recoveries made thus far.
In recent months, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted multiple raids and search operations across various parts of West Bengal related to money laundering cases. The recent activities by the Income Tax officials indicate an increased focus on such operations in the state.
