Income Tax Department conducts searches in Bengaluru

The Income Tax Department conducted search and seizure operations against three big contractors based in Bengaluru who were working on irrigation and roadway projects. The searches, which began on October 7, 2021, have taken place at 47 locations across four states.

During the search, it was discovered that these three groups were suppressing their income by making fictitious purchases, inflating labour expenses, and booking fictitious subcontract expenses, among other things. According to the research, one of the groups has booked fake subcontract expenses in the names of roughly 40 low-income individuals who are unrelated to the construction industry. These persons have admitted to the alleged manipulation after being questioned.

One of the organisations admitted to inflating labour costs by Rs. 382 crore. Furthermore, another group was discovered to have collected Rs. 105 crore in accommodation entries from non-existent paper enterprises, which was admitted by this group.

Various incriminating evidences, such as physical papers, digital evidences, and so on, have been discovered and seized. Unaccounted cash worth Rs. 4.69 crore, unaccounted jewels and bullion worth Rs. 8.67 crore, and silver objects worth Rs. 29.83 lakh were recovered during the search.

These three groups’ search and seizure actions resulted in the discovery of undisclosed income totaling around Rs. 750 crore. The respective group firms have confessed an aggregate value of Rs.487 crore as their unreported revenue.

More research is being carried out.