Chennai: Gang of 5 fake I-T officials robs 48 sovereigns, Rs 15,000

Chennai: Next time when you find income tax officials at your door, make a call to local police and inform about the visit of officials or you will lose your valuables like D. Saraswathi (55) of Kancheepuram.

A gang of five members, claiming to be income tax officials, entered Saraswathi’s house and escaped with 48 sovereigns of gold and cash, on Monday.

 Little did Saraswathi know when the gang arrived in her house in Indira Nagar in Kancheepuram in a car with ‘Government of Tamil Nadu’ stickers. She opened the doors letting four persons clad in well-pressed shirts, who claimed to be Income Tax officials and had orders to raid the house, into her residence. Another man in police uniform waited outside near the car.

 According to police sources, Saraswathi and her son Kumaresan are running a financial service business in the house. “On Monday morning, Kumaresan and his wife went to a relative’s function leaving Saraswathi alone. At around 5.30 am, the gang entered the house,” the source said.

 The well-organised gang not only cut off the landline connection to the house, it also confiscated Saraswathi’s mobile phone and that of neighbours too. The ‘officials’ ordered Saraswathi to open the bureaus and cupboards in the house and took the 48 sovereigns of gold jewels and '15,000. They also gave her a ‘seizure mahazar’.

 “Appear before the income tax office in Kancheepuram collectorate along with your son at 11 am,” the ‘officials’ told Saraswathi before darting away in their car with the ‘seized’ gold and money.

When the family appeared before the original I-T officials at around 11 am along with ‘seizure mahazar’ and audit reports, they were in for a shock.

 Until the officials confronted them with the question - “How could IT officials travel in Tamil Nadu government car?” the family were thinking they had handed over their valuables to I-T sleuths. Meanwhile, the officials directed them to approach the police.

Based on Saraswathi’s complaint, the Kancheepuram Taluk Police registered a case and is analyzing CCTV grabs taken from the bungalow house of Saraswathi.