Published 12:02 IST, July 13th 2020
ED raids at Fairmont Hotel where Gehlot planned taking MLAs; IT raids Rajasthan CM's aides
The Income Tax Department on Monday conducted raids at the houses of Congress leaders Dharmendra Rathore and Rajeev Arora, amid the Rajasthan political crisis
With the political crisis in Rajasthan only deepening by the minute, the Income Tax Department on Monday conducted raids at the houses of Congress leaders Dharmendra Rathore and Rajeev Arora, both considered to be close aides of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, including via his son.
According to sources, the Income Tax is said to carry out raids at 18 places on a complaint of tax evasion in Rajasthan and Delhi, with merchant groups on its radar. Congress leader Rajeev Arora who is a jewellery firm owner is specifically under the scanner. It is said that the IT Department is conducting raids based on inputs it has received regarding the movement of large amounts of money along with some overseas transactions. According to sources, the case is related to un-declaration of income and stock with Rajiv Arora's Amrapali office is being analysed.
Both were allegedly managing the finances of the political crisis in the state. They are currently being interrogated by the IT Department. This comes as a major setback to the Congress which is holding the crucial Congress Legislature meeting called by CM Ashok Gehlot, amid advanced tensions with Sachin Pilot.
ED raids Fairmont Hotel
Meanwhile, sources had reported that Congress was planning to move its MLAs to the Fairmont Hotel. It is said that the ED is conducting raids at the hotel and is interrogating the employees after Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot's partner Ravi Kant Sharma was brought under ED scanner. Sources say that Sharma holds a stake in Hotel Fairmont. The Enforcement Directorate has maintained that there is no connection with the ongoing I-T searches at several places in the state.
The numbers at Ashok Gehlot's CLP meeting in Jaipur emerged lesser than that which was witnessed at a meeting he held the previous night. Whereas there were 114 MLAs on Sunday night, only 103 have come to the CLP meeting, as per sources.
Updated 12:03 IST, July 13th 2020