Joda/Rourkela: Sleuths of Income Tax department conducted searches in the offices of Indrani Patnaik mines at Mahaparbat and DR Patnaik mine at Joda, Friday. The officials checked several documents of their mines. The searches were suspected to be in connection with tax evasion.
The irregularities in the mine of Indrani Patnaik had come to light. The MB Shah Commission and the SC-empowered CEC had visited the mines of Indrani Patnaik during the probe of the multi-crore mining scam.
It may be noted here that DR Patnaik, the husband of Indrani Patnaik, has mines in Joda mining circle. Earlier, large-scale irregularities in the DR Patnaik mines had allegedly taken place. DP Patnaik is the brother of PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik.
Meahwhile, acting on allegations of tax evasion, officials of the Income Tax department conducted sudden raids at the residence and offices of a mines owner at Rourkela in Sundargarh district, Friday.
The raid was conducted after a mines owner, Diptiranjan Patnaik, owner of Indrani Patnaik Mines and Minerals Private Limited in Rourkela, was accused of evasion of tax and on charges of hoarding of cash.
According to sources, Patnaik also owns mines in other parts of the state.
Simultaneous raids were conducted by more than 60 tax officials. The raid team conducted searches in at 16 places across the state including the owner of the mines company and industrialist, Indrani Patnaik and her husband Dipti Ranjan Patnaik’s residence and offices in the Civil Township area and Commercial estate.
Over past few years, Dipti Ranjan Patnaik is the highest taxpayer in the state. Besides, simultaneous raids in several offices of the mines in Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Keonjhar and other places in Joda area are underway, sources said.
The exact amount of assets detected during the raids is yet to be ascertained, sources added.
PNN
