I-T searches premises of property promoter close to SP

The Income Tax (I-T) department on Tuesday raided the premises of real estate company ACE Group and its promoter Ajay Chaudhary in Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida, among other locations, an I-T official said.

Searches were also conducted at the premises of footwear companies in Agra, an official.

Chaudhary is said to be close to Samajwadi Party (SP). With Uttar Pradesh assembly polls looming, searches by the I-T and GST authorities at premises of several businessmen have triggered a political blame game between the ruling BJP and the SP.

Also read: SP, BJP trade barbs over ‘wrong P Jain’

Last month, GST authorities raided the premises of a perfume trader, Piyush Jain, in Kanpur and Kannauj. ₹197.49 crore cash, 23kg gold and some offending goods of high value were allegedly recovered in searches at Kannauj’s Odochem Industries – a manufacturer of perfumery compounds – and its proprietor Jain, the department said.

The I-T department had also searched the premises of a leading perfume businessman with links to the SP, Pushpraj Jain, and another perfumer, Fauzan Malik.