I-T sleuths raid Rajdarbar Gutkha premises

NEW DELHI: The Income Tax department has conducted searches at business and residential premises of a prominent gutkha manufacturer in the national capital and Uttar Pradesh and unearthed alleged tax evasions to the tune of Rs 20 crore.

I-T sleuths conducted the search operations at 31 premises of Rajdarbar Gutkha in Delhi, Agra and Mathura and Noida recently and seized a large number of documents related to business dealings, income, annual turnover among others, of the company, sources said.

The department also seized about a dozen computers, ledgers and other accounts books.

The gutkha manufacturer is constructing a five-star hotel and a mall in Gurgaon besides developing residential plots in Karnal, Mathura, Jaipur and Kosi Kalan (Uttar Pradesh) and a SEZ project in Bangalore, sources said.

Sources said the gutkha and pan masala manufacturing companies often evade the excise tax and subsequently route the money into real estate and other businesses.

It was found that the company had more than the registered number of good quality gutkha manufacturing machines, which is recorded with the excise department, they said.

Income Tax officials said that scrutiny is being carried out on the seized hardware and documents and further investigations are being carried out.

Investigations on some investments by the gutkha company in shell companies is also being undertaken, they added.