Bengaluru: The Income Tax department on Wednesday raided the Bengaluru and Delhi residences of Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar. The taxmen also searched his luxury resort near Bengaluru where Congress stashed away it's 44 legislators from Gujarat to prevent defections before upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.


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IT officials have recoved Rs 5 crore cash the minister's Delhi residence, reported the Press Trust of India.


Nearly 39 premises owned by Shivakumar and his family are being raided by a team of about 120 Income Tax Department along with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel officials across the country. 


The minister is now being taken away taken from his Eagleton Golf resort in Bengaluru.



 


The raids by taxmen began at 7 am today morning. A team of 10 tax officials, along with CRPF personnel, searched the resort.



Shivakumar, the Energy Minister in Congress-led Siddaramaiah government, was in charge of looking after 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who are in a resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru till the day of the Rajya Sabha elections, August 8.


The taxmen also raided the minister's residence in Kanakapura, Sadashivanagar.


 



Last week, Congress alleged that Gujarat BJP offered Rs 15 crore to each of its MLAs, a ticket in Gujarat polls along with funds to contest the elections.


To avoid intimidation and temptation from the opposition, Congress leaders flew the legislators in the luxury golf resort. The developments came after Shankersinh Vaghela and 5 Congress MLAs resigned from the party to join the BJP


Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil had further claimed the MLAs were scared for their lives, fearing abduction and death, all for the sake of few votes.


Speaking on the development, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said, "BJP is on an unprecedented witch-hunt just to win 1 Rajya Sabha seat: Ahmed Patel,Senior Congress leader on IT raids at Eagleton Golf Resort."


"After using state machinery & every other agency, these I-T raids show their utter desperation & frustration," he added.


 


With Agency Inputs