Hyderabad: Income-tax (I-T) officials on Tuesday reportedly conducted simultaneous searches at the various offices of Meghana Foods Pvt Ltd and the Chutneys restaurant groups in the city as well as at the house of their owner Alturi Padma. In another operation, I-T officials raided a college of BRS leader Ch Malla Reddy’s group.
Padma is said to be a relative of AP Congress Committee chief Y.S. Sharmila Reddy. Sharmila's son Raja Reddy had recently married Padma's granddaughter. Meghana Food runs various food outlets in Hyderabad in the city, elsewhere in the state and reportedly in Bengaluru. The group has been in the food business for 10 years.
The I-T officials reportedly conducted simultaneous searches on the firm’s industrial unit at Jeedimetla IDA Phase-I.
According to reports, the I-T officials reportedly also raided the food outlets of Chutneys Group in the city. The I-T officials have not officially disclosed the raids and searches.
Elsewhere, I-T officials raided a college of former BRS MLA Ch Malla Reddy after they were informed that he had allegedly sold management quota seats at higher fees.
The officials were conducting an investigation into the recent detention of 40 students at Malla Reddy Agriculture University. The students and their parents had accused the management of jeopardising the lives of students by extorting money in the name of fees.
According to sources, the I-T officials were probing allegations that the college management had not recorded the money transactions.
The prime focus of the I-T officials was on how much money the college management charged from the 40 students who got admission under the management quota.
The officials have reportedly seized college records and questioned the management and staff.
The college management has reportedly manipulated the extra funds and got them transferred to the accounts of Malla Reddy’s relatives and others to evade income-tax. The officials, sources said. Had managed to get the information about the transfer of extra money and identified the beneficiaries.
