Income Tax raid in Vellore: Rs 24 crore seized by IT department, all in new Rs 2000 notes

The investigators are trying to obtain crucial leads through sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy. A senior Income Tax official said that 'he is a tough nut to crack'.

Chennai, Dec 10: A day after the massive raid in Chennai where Rs 90 crore was seized, the Income Tax department found the money trail reaching to Vellore. Rs 24 crores were seized in the I-T raid on Saturday morning. The I-T sleuths found Rs. 2000 new currency notes in 12 boxes, each carrying Rs 2 crore in a car. According to ANI, interrogation in the Chennai Tax evasion case led to this revelation.

This follows Friday’s incident of the seizure of Rs. 144.5 crore from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam trust board and PWD sand contractor Sekhar Reddy and his associates in Chennai and Vellore, the final tally of seized capital has been given as Rs.  144.5 crore.

According to Deccan Chronicle, the investigators are trying to get a statement from Sekhar Reddy and a senior Income Tax official said, “He is a tough nut to crack. He is claiming all the money and gold belong to him. He is yet to name any politician or bureaucrat.”

Speculations of him being a benami to many IAS official in the state has also been suggested by the Income Tax officials, as Reddy and his associates are linked to certain senior IAS officers and Tamil Nadu ministers.

Notably, Reddy in October reportedly even took prasadam from Tirupati for the ailing Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.