Uppal contestant says he has no link to firm

HYDERABAD: Suspecting tax evasion, the tax officials on Thursday raided Ravi Foods Private Ltd, a company that manufactures confectionary. One of the present nominees of DSA Builders, Maddi Narasaih, is said to be a confidant of a top TD leader.

Raids were also conducted at the office of Shanta Sriram Constructions Private Limited, in which Maddi Narasaih is a director. Searches were conducted in 12 locations including corporate offices and residences of the directors of Ravi Foods and DSA Builders.

Ravi Foods, which manafuctures confectionery under the brand names of Dukes and Waffy, has six directors, namely Neha Agarwal, Prerna Agarwal, Kedarnath Agarwal, Ravinder Kumar Agarwal, Vimal Agarwal and Rajender Kumar Agarwal.

DSA Builders was established by the family of Telugu Desam leader T. Devender Goud and his sons. They quit as promoters and Maddi Narasaiah has been named as the nominee.

When this correspondent contacted Tulla Veerendar Goud, the TD candidate for Uppal, he said he has no links to the company and the raids were not conducted against him.

According to the election affidavit filed by Tulla Veerendar Goud, he is an MBA graduate from Boston University who identifies himself as a businessman. He owns movable property worth Rs 55.79 crore and has an outstanding loan of Rs 13.30 crore. He had earlier contested for the Chevella Lok Sabha seat from the TD, but lost the election.

Earlier, the income-tax officials had raided TD leaders like Kovelamudi Ravindra, former TD leader-turned-Congress working president A. Revanth Reddy, TD leader from AP and Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh and others.