Cash stacked in carton boxes was found in the house of a relative of Ambikapathy, who had raised 40% charge against previous BJP govt.
₹42 crore in cash was found in 23 carton boxes in the contractor's house at Athmanananda Colony in RT Nagar. (Supplied)
Income-tax officials searched the residences and offices of several contractors, jewellers, businessmen, and former corporators in Bengaluru, and seized currency notes to the tune of ₹42 crore from one of the premises.
The search at multiple locations that began on Thursday, continued through Friday, 13 October, police officers, who accompanied the I-T sleuths, said.
The cash was kept in 23 carton boxes under a cot at the residence of a relative of a contractor and a former corporator at Athmanananda Colony in RT Nagar.
At the time of filing this report, I-T officials were trying to find the source of the cash. Police sources told South First the flat belonged to former corporator Ashwathamma and her husband R Ambikapathy.
The latter is the president of the BBMP Contractors’ Association as well as the vice president of the Karnataka Contractors Association.
Ambikapathy had earlier accused the previous BJP government of demanding a 40 percent commission for clearing bills. Ashwathamma is the elder sister of former Congress MLA R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy.
The I-T officials were questioning those concerned about the source of the money. They were also checking all bank transactions. Searches were carried out at five locations including the offices of the contractor.
The I-T Department also inspected the residences and offices of two other civic contractors over suspected tax evasion. On Thursday, the IT officials searched around 25 locations linked to two contractors in the city.
Similar searches were carried out at the houses and offices of businessmen, doctors, and jewellers, spread over more than 15 locations, including RMV Extension, BEL Circle, Malleswaram, Dollars Colony, Sadashivanagar, BTM Layout, Vijayanagar, Hulimavu, JC Road, Shantinagar, Mathikere, and Mullur village near Sarjapur.
Sources privy to the developments told South First that the I-T officials had information that several big builders and businessmen, contractors, and jewellers in Karnataka, especially from Bengaluru, were mobilising funds for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states.
A lion’s share of the funds was reportedly for funding the poll campaign in Rajasthan.
The seized ₹42 crore was reportedly meant for Telangana, Finance Minister of the Telugu state T Harish Rao said on Friday.
Addressing a media conference in Hyderabad, Rao claimed that the money was collected from builders, gold businesses, and contractors as ‘Telangana tax’. It was part of ₹1,500 crore meant to fuel the Congress’s campaign in Telangana, he alleged.
An IT raid in Karnataka resulted in the discovery of Rs 42 crores, causing a significant controversy in Telangana.
BRS leader @BRSHarish has accused @INCTelangana of intending to utilize the money uncovered in the neighboring state for the forthcoming elections.@TheSouthfirst pic.twitter.com/TZ5bgqKvAW
— Sumit Jha (@sumitjha__) October 13, 2023
The BJP and JD(S) accused the Congress of making Karnataka an ATM to withdraw money to fund the election campaign in the five states.
Vijayapura City MLA Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) said it would be easy to find the source of the cash found in the house of “Congress agent” Ambikapathi.
Yatnal raised six questions on X:
1. Who are these contractors who have received ₹650 crore grants released by BBMP? What are their backgrounds? Details of outstanding bills!
2. What percentage was fixed for ₹650 crore?
3. Why was this money planned to be sent from Tamil Nadu to Telangana?
4. If it is being sent to Telangana, is it not for the elections?
5. If the walls of Kumarakrupa guest house have ears, it will say who those 23 contractors are and who all have given this money!
6. Does Kempanna and Company did not have any information regarding the cash?
ಈ ಐಟಿ ರೇಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಏಜಂಟ್ ಅಂಬಿಕಾಪತಿಯ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ದೊರೆತ 42 ಕೋಟಿ ಹಣದ ಮೂಲವನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕುವುದು ಬಹಳ ಸುಲಭ.
1. ಬಿಬಿಎಂಪಿ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿರುವ 650 ಕೋಟಿ ಅನುದಾನ ಪಡೆದಿರುವ ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರರು ಯಾರು? ಅವರ ಹಿನ್ನಲೆ ಏನು? ಬಾಕಿ ಬಿಲ್ಲುಗಳ ವಿವರ!
2. 650 ಕೋಟಿ ರೂಗಳಿಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ಪರ್ಸೆಂಟೇಜ್ ಫಿಕ್ಸ್ ಮಾಡಲಾಗಿತ್ತು?
3. ಈ ಹಣ…— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) October 13, 2023
JD(S) Leader HD Kumaraswamy blamed the ruling Congress — terming it ill-fate has befallen the Kannadigas and Karnataka.
Who owns the money found in the contractor’s house? Around ₹650 crore from the BBMP were recently released to selected contractors, and soon after the release, the I-T Department authorities seized ₹42 crore from one of the contractors,” the former chief minister said.
Even as farmers are troubled by drought and power crisis, contractors are in distress, and the Cauvery water is flowing continuously to Tamil Nadu, money meant for Kannadigas would flow to the states going to the polls,” he said.
ಪಂಚರಾಜ್ಯ ಚುನಾವಣೆ ಘೋಷಣೆ ಆಗಿದ್ದೇ ತಡ, ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಕುರುಡು ಕಾಂಚಾಣ ಕಂತೆ ಕಂತೆಯಾಗಿ ಕಾಟನ್ ಬಾಕ್ಸ್ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಣಿಯುತ್ತಿದೆ! ಅದೂ ಮಂಚದ ಕೆಳಗೆ!!
ಐಟಿದಾಳಿ ವೇಳೆ ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪತ್ತೆಯಾದ ಹಣ ಯಾರದ್ದು? ಯಾರ ಹೆಣದ ಮೇಲೆ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದ ಪಾಪದ ಹಣವಿದು? ಈ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಬೇಕಿದೆ.
ಆಯ್ದ ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆದಾರರಿಗೆ…
— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) October 13, 2023
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rubbished the allegations.
“I will not comment on the allegations made. Have you seen it? Have they seen it? What is there to accuse? All the allegations are baseless. The allegations of the BJP MLAs are not true,” he asserted.
May 17, 2024
May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024
