Income Tax Dept. Raids in Jamshedpur; Found Evidence of Hawala Money Linked to Politics

The Income Tax Department has escalated its raids across the state after receiving information on the usage of hawala money during Jharkhand’s assembly elections.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided Saraikela and Jamshedpur on Sunday, bringing the total number of searches since Friday to 35.

During the raids, which began on Friday in numerous districts including Jamshedpur, Giridih, and Ranchi, evidence of hawala funding tied to political activities emerged. Raids on the properties of the Rishu Chirania Group in Ranchi and the Rakesh Barnwal Group in Giridih ended late Saturday night. Meanwhile, critical documents and new leads were discovered during the Saturday night raid on the Bhalotia Group’s Jamshedpur offices.

In reaction to the new evidence, senior Income Tax officers arrived in Jamshedpur late Saturday. Eight more teams of Income Tax officers were sent from Ranchi to Jamshedpur to follow up on the fresh leads. Initial investigations indicate that new locations associated with the Bhalotia Group have been identified, causing the department to broaden the scope of the raids.

The newly arrived teams will undertake more raids at these designated locations, as part of the department’s intensified crackdown on financial irregularities associated with the hawala network. As the probe continues, the Income Tax Department is expected to broaden its reach in the coming days.