Hyderabad: An Indian legislator is at the centre of a big storm after raids by the Income Tax department uncovered Rs2.65 billion (Dh146 million) in unaccounted wealth from premises belonging to her educational institutions and other businesses.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator from Chittoor Satya Prabha, Satya Prabha, is the widow of businessman D. Adikesavalu Naidu, who was once a treasurer of Congress party and later joined the TDP.
Tax officials carried out raids at the residence of the legislator in Chittoor as well as the offices of the Vydehi Medial College and Research Centre at Whitfield near Bengaluru.
While several documents pertaining to the unaccounted wealth were recovered from her residence, the searches at the institutions yielded a cash of Rs430 million, believed to be “donations” deposited by students aspiring for medicals seat under the management quota.
Tax officials also raided and searched the houses of members of the Trust that runs several colleges and hospitals.
The searches were done in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and some other states.
The tax department has issued notice to Satya Prabha to file returns to explain various properties and assets, the documents of which were recovered from her home.
“This is one of the biggest seizures of cash in Karnataka and Goa,” an official said.
The trust set up by Adikesavalu Naidu runs medical, dental, nursing and para medical colleges. The raids over the last one week came just before the medical college was to conduct counselling for the new admissions.
