the goan I network
CANACONA
While Opposition Leader Babu Kavlekar has been in the spotlight due to recent raids at his properties, another politician was also raided as part of investigations into his assets. The residential flat of former minister Ramesh Tawadkar was raided and inspected by a team of Income Tax sleuths in Canacona on Wednesday.
According to reliable sources, a team of IT sleuths visited Tawadkar's flat at Ruby Residency in Chaudi at about 1.30 pm on Wednesday. After four hours of inspection, the IT sleuths left the premises at 5.30 pm.
The IT raid reportedly pertained to an increase in Tawadkar's income from Rs 11 lakh, as shown in his affidavit during the 2007 assembly polls, to Rs 81 lakh in his affidavit during the 2012 assembly elections.
Tawadkar was questioned by IT sleuths in a pending IT case against him, for which he was reportedly served with an income tax notice a few years back.
According to sources, Tawadkar reportedly provided details to the IT team, stating that the increase of Rs 11 lakh in 2007 to Rs 81 lakh in 2012 was mainly because of an increase in market value of his existing properties over the years.
The land which he owned in Tenancy Act, previously valued at Rs 5 lakh, had gone up to a market value of Rs 31 lakh in 2012. Similarly the value of his his Innova car had gone up from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 9 lakh, while there was also an increase in the value of his house at Amone (Poinguinim) from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Besides, Rs 24 lakh of the Assembly member's loan which he had availed, was also included in the affidavit.
Confirming the raid, Tawadkar told The Goan that this raid, as well as the previous United Tribals Association Alliance (UTAA) case and forest case against him, had been raked up a few months before the 2017 assembly polls.
"All these were part of a ploy to politically cut me to size. Raking up these cases against me was part of a political witch-hunt and political stunts to harass me, they have now been settled," said Tawadkar.
‘Though my 2012 affidavit showed assets of Rs 81 lakh, the value of my assets was in the bottom of list of all 40 MLAs at the time and yet, I have been targeted. One can then imagine the harassment directed at me," Tawadkar said.
