Am I doing hawala business?, asks Telangana Minister after IT raids at his premises
Nov 23, 2022
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 23 : Telangana labour minister Malla Reddy on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi government for "deploying Income Tax officers to create terror".
"Am I doing hawala business? With K Chandrashekar Rao's blessings, we serve people. Is it wrong? BJP and Modi government are deploying IT officers to 50 different places and houses to create terror," Reddy said a day after the Income Tax department conducted raids at the properties belonging to him and his son-in-law.
Income Tax officials had conducted raids at various locations including the residence of State minister Malla Reddy in Secunderabad on Tuesday.
Reddy further alleged the Central Reserve Police Force had ruthlessly beat up his elder son. "My elder son is in pain due to the beatings of CRPF."
Later, addressing media persons, Reddy said that the raids were a "deliberate attempt" on KCR and ministers of TRS.
"I am a TRS minister. They are doing this purposefully on KCR and our ministers," Reddy said.
Earlier on November 9, the sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate raided the residence of Telangana minister Gangula Kamalakar in Karimnagar in connection with an alleged illegal mining case.
"ED officials have checked everything and went through all the documents, we will let the agencies investigate. We are cooperating with the government," Gangula Kamalakar said on November 10.
ED attached the properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) after conducting investigations on the basis of an FIR and charge sheet filed by Tamil Nadu Police against the said company for "criminally conspiring and indulging in illegal granite mining activities leading to losses to the government and wrongful gain to themselves," a statement from the ED said on April 24, 2019.
