GUWAHATI, Sept 28 � Sleuths of the Income Tax department today conducted a series of raids in the residence and office premises of Brahmaputra Infrastructure, a prominent real estate developer operating in the State, over alleged tax evasion.
The sleuths reportedly seized documents relating to �unaccounted� incomes and investments of the group.
The raids, which were conducted since the morning, started with a nine-member team of the IT department sealing a room of the residence of one of the Prithani brothers located in Tarun Nagar area.
This was followed by searches at their office in Christianbasti area and subsequently, in the Spanish Garden, the multi-crore-rupees construction project developed by the group, located on the RG Baruah Road.
The sleuths, who were divided in different groups, have allegedly seized documents pertaining to the sale of residential and commercial areas inside the Spanish Garden during the day-long search operation.
Sources in the Income Tax department told this reporter that the raids were conducted after they came across leads relating to massive tax evasion by the group in the name of real estate construction.
The raids were carried out as per Sec 132(3) of the IT Act, 1961 following instruction from the Director of Income Tax (Investigation), NE region.
The Brahmaputra Infrastructure, according to sources, is run by three brothers namely Sanjay Prithani, Manoj Prithani and Suresh Prithani.
An IT official informed that similar raids would be conducted in other places of the State, besides a host of other business establishments in the city.
�At this moment, the only thing that can be shared is that the department has carried out searches in premises owned by the Prithani brothers and a clear picture would evolve only after examining the documents,� a senior IT official stated.
R Saha, public relation officer, Guwahati office of the IT department though confirmed the incident, however, refused to divulge any details in this connection.
The Prithani brothers could not be contacted for comments.
