Income Tax officials conduct raids at 100 locations in Tamil Nadu & Andhra

Income tax officials today conducted searches at nearly 100 locations in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as part of a tax evasion probe against mining and mineral export companies.

The searches are being conducted at the premises of at least four business groups in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Karaikal in Tamil Nadu and Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. One of the firm is mining company VV Minerals.

According to reports, the I-T department is conducting raids based on intelligence inputs that the miners have been exporting beach minerals despite a ban.


Over 130 tax officials are conducting the operation with assistance from security and police personnel.

According to reports, some overseas transactions of these companies, made in alleged violation of tax laws, is also under the scanner of the department and the sleuths are looking for documents, to substantiate these charges, during the raids.

"We have information about VV Minerals and its associate companies evading taxes and having unaccounted income. The searches are conducted only after several surveys and inquiries," ToI quoted a senior I-T investigation officer as saying.

Established in 1989, VV Minerals, is one of the largest miner and exporter of minerals in the country. Its owner, Vaigundarajan, is believed to be close to the ruling AIADMK.

(Inputs from PTI)