Top income tax official’s house raided

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More skeletons seem to tumble as the CBI reportedly recovered evidence of illegal assets to the tune of several crores of rupees from the Mumbai residence of Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in Kerala, Mr. Anil Goel, on Friday.

According to sources, Mr. Goel was in Delhi over the last couple of weeks and the CBI had issued a notice to him to turn up for interrogation.

Meanwhile, the links of real estate agent Kumar, who was found dead in his house at Parakkode near Kazhakoottam, came to light from a suicide note recovered from the spot. 

The relatives of the deceased also said that they had spotted IT officials visiting Kumar frequently.  They  alleged that he committed suicide owing to CBI torture.

The Kazhakoottam police registered a case of unnatural death. The CBI suspects  that Anil Goel as well as Principal Commissioner of Income Tax in Thiruvananthapuram, Shailendra Mamidi, and Income Tax officer S. Sharath, who were arrested on Thursday, had transacted ill-gotten money through Kumar.

In the suicide note of Kumar, it was mentioned that he was innocent and that he was being trapped. About '10 lakh recovered from Kumar was  suspected to have been handed over by the IT officials. Efforts were  on to trace the investment details of the IT officials.

The owner of  Powathil Jewellery in Ettumannor, Joy Thomas, chartered accountant M.K. Kuruvila and managing director of a Kottayam-based construction company, Mathew Alex, who were  arraigned in the case, were let off after quizzing, whereas Sailendra Mamidi and Sharath were being quizzed in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to an official statement of the CBI, “it was alleged that the PCIT, Thiruvananthapuram, who is also holding charge of PCIT, Kottayam, had demanded Rs.10 lakh to give a favourable report on the income tax survey conducted on a jewellery shop based in Kottayam. The amount was to be delivered by the chartered accountant of the said shop to the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax through the partner of a construction company.  The CBI conducted searches and recovered some Rs.10 lakh from the partner of the construction company. Further searches are being conducted at nine places, including Kottayam, Thiruvananthpuram and also a few places outside Kerala at the office and residence of accused persons which led to recovery of several incriminating documents, files relating to the assessments, computers, laptops, cellphones and cash of Rs. 12.5 lakh,” the CBI said.

Meanwhile, the Vattiyoorkavu police produced the eight bullets and 21 bottles of  liquor recovered from Sharath's house at the judicial first class magistrate court in Nedumangad.