I-T Department seizes Rs 37 lakh, jewellery from Delhi Minister

New Delhi: The Income Tax (I-T) Department said on Thursday it has seized Rs 37 lakh in cash and jewellery worth about Rs 2 crore from Delhi Minister Kailash Gahlot and his family members.

"We have recovered cash worth Rs 37 lakh and jewellery of about Rs 2 crore from the residence and business premises of Gahlot and his family members during the raids conducted in the second week of this month," Department spokesperson Subhi Ahluwalia told IANS.

However, an I-T official, requesting anonymity, said that additional jewellery worth Rs 28 lakh was also seized from a bank locker in the names of Gahlot and his wife.

The Department had conducted raids at 16 business and residential premises of Gahlot and his family members related to two companies -- Brisk Infrastructure and Developer Pvt Ltd and Corporate International Financial Services Pvt Ltd over tax evasion allegations.

The raids too place in Vasant Kunj, Paschim Vihar, Najafgarh and Gurugram.

I-T officials had earlier claimed that it they found documents showing the Delhi Cabinet Minister evaded Rs 120 crore in taxes.

The documents recovered from the Minister's premises showed office boys, peons and other employees to have been extended loans and to be holding equity worth Rs 70 crore in several "shell" companies.

Gahlot holds the portfolios of Transport, Law, Revenue, Information Technology and Administrative Reforms in the Delhi Cabinet.