IT raids at premises related to Chennur Assembly Constituency Candidate amid Elections

Income Tax Department officials were searching the homes and offices of G. Vivek, the Congress party’s candidate for the Chennur Assembly constituency in Telangana.

Simultaneous searches at the former MP’s homes in Hyderabad and Mancherial began early Tuesday.

Various teams of IT authorities were conducting searches at his homes in Hyderabad and Mancherial. Simultaneous searches were also being conducted at his offices in other locations.

Outside Vivek’s Mancherial home, supporters staged a protest against the IT raids. They chanted anti-Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi chants.

Vivek, who just left the BJP to join the Congress party, is running in the Mancherial district’s Chennur constituency on November 30.

The former legislator is the richest contender in Telangana. He revealed family assets worth more than Rs. 600 crore in his nomination affidavit to the Election Commission.

Vivek, the chairman and founder of Visaka Industries Ltd, also owns Telugu TV channel V6.

The IT raids came just two days after Hyderabad Police allegedly froze an internet transaction worth Rs. 8 crore between Visaka Industries and another company. On the orders of the Election Commission, police went to IDBI Bank’s Basheerbagh branch, inquired about the suspected transaction, and froze it.

The police had also notified the Income Tax Department and the joint director of the Hyderabad Zone Directorate of Enforcement.