New Delhi/Kolkata, Apr 19 (PTI) The Income Tax Department has found “discrepancies” related to assets like jewellery and bullion declared by TMC MLA Debashis Kumar in his election affidavit against the seizure made by sleuths from his house during recent raids, official sources said on Sunday.
The federal agency has sent a report on the evidence gathered and the seizures made from the legislator, renominated by the TMC from Rasbehari seat in West Bengal, and his linked entities to the Election Commission (EC) and to the West Bengal chief electoral officer (CEO), they said.
Polling on Rasbehari assembly seat will be held during the second phase of election in the state on April 29.
The tax department had raided the premises of Kumar, that of Miraj Shah, a proposer of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s candidature from Bhabanipur constituency, house of Kumar’s close aide Kumar Saha and some others on April 17 on charges of their involvement in generation of “unaccounted” money.
The TMC had alleged on the day of the raids that the action against the MLA was intended to “harass and intimidate” the ruling party of West Bengal.
The sources, quoting the tax department investigation report and seizure memos, said that the gross income declared in the ITRs (2021-22 to 2024-25) by Kumar’s wife Devjani Kumar were “not commensurate” with the reduction in her liabilities worth over Rs 99.68 lakh that was declared by her husband in his election affidavit for 2021.
The taxmen found that Kumar stated “nil” liability in the name of his wife in his latest election affidavit.
The sources claimed the taxmen seized diamond jewellery, gold and gold bullion valued at Rs 1.75 crore from the MLA’s house during the recent searches.
The authorities have asked him to explain the ownership of these valuables among his family members.
The sources added that Kumar has declared his and his wife’s gold assets (in 2026 election affidavit) at about 278 gms, valued at Rs 36 lakh, apart from silver of about Rs 2.5 lakh.
The tax department suspects “discrepancy” in these two figures as they claimed Kumar made no declaration of diamond jewellery and bullion (seized from his premises) in his affidavit apart from the reported difference in the weight of gold found at his premises and what is mentioned in the affidavit.
The department has also sought an explanation from the TMC MLA on the increase of his assets by Rs 1.65 crore from his 2021 election affidavit.
It is also probing the involvement of his associates (who were raided) and other individuals like Deepak Hirawat, Sutanu Mahanty, Sheikh Riyazuddin and Mohammed Azam who are alleged to have assisted him in handling “cash” funds and making “unaccounted” investments.
Some others including Miraj Shah are under the scanner of the taxmen for helping Kumar acquire “stake” in educational institutes like Bhawanipur Educational Society and NSHM Knowledge Campus, the sources said.
The tax sleuths also seized Rs 6 lakh cash during the raids from the premises of a company named Kumar Industries in which the MLA is stated to be a partner, the sources said.
The accountant of the company recorded his statement with the department saying this amount was “rental income” received from two companies, they said. PTI NES KVK KVK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.