Income Tax raids conducted on firms in Vijayawada, Jaggayyapeta

Vijayawada: The sleuths of Income Tax (I-T) department conducted raids on two real estate firms, a construction company and VS Logistics Company branch office in the city. Similarly, raids were conducted on a brick manufacturing unit at Jaggayyapeta in Krishna district.

Nearly 200 members of I-T department arrived in city on Thursday night. They informed the police department about the raids and asked for their cooperation. According to sources, they formed eight teams and started raids from 7 a.m on Friday. They reached Narayana IIT Academy at Nara Chandrababu Naidu Colony, but they did not conduct raids. Later they visited several places in the city while maintaining secrecy.

First, they conducted raids on Southern Developers office at Labbipet. According to sources, they seized several incriminating documents. Rumors are doing rounds in the city that the business firm belongs to a minister in the state. Unconfirmed reports say that some documents related to a woman minister were also seized in the raids.

 The I-T department officials conducted raids on Subhagruha Realty Developers near Ramavarappadu in the city. A TDP MP is having a stake in the business, it is said. The I-T department also conducted raid on the branch office of  VS Logistics near Benz Circle.

Meanwhile, the light weight brick manufacturing unit was scanned by the IT department. A team of sleuths conducted raids on the brick unit's office in Jaggayyapeta. The officials seized documents and computer disks in all the raids.

They did not give chance to the staff of these companies to go out or to talk to anyone. The raids were continued the whole day. Interestingly, the local TDP legislators also anticipated the raids.

Already several TDP leaders including MLAs raised the issue of IT raids some days ago. Mainly the BJP wants to suppress the Telugu Desam and it has entered into a direct war with it in view of forthcoming elections in Telangana state, said MLC Budda Venkanna.

The rumors are doing rounds in political circles that the I-T department may conduct raids on two ministers and some more business firms of Telugu Desam sympathisers.