Bhopal: The Income Tax Department made a significant discovery during a raid that has been ongoing for the past three days in Bhopal. In Ratibad area’s Mendora forest, officials found an abandoned vehicle that contained a huge amount of gold and cash.
The abandoned vehicle, identified as an Innova Crysta, contained two bags holding approximately 52 kilograms of gold worth around Rs 42 crore. Additionally, Rs 10 crore in cash was also recovered. The Income Tax Department believes the vehicle was intentionally abandoned, with someone leaving the gold and cash behind to evade detection during the raids.
IT raid on businesses
Companies including Quality Group, Ishan Group, and Trishul Construction Group are under investigation, along with property dealers Deepak Bhavsar, Vinod Agarwal, and Rupam Shivani, who are associated with Sharma.
The inquiry has uncovered Sharma’s extensive reach, with contracts to construct CM Rise Schools and connections to a former BJP minister. Officials suspect connections between these business entities and high-ranking IAS officers, hinting at a deeper nexus of corruption and financial irregularities.
Investigation underway
The discovery of such a massive haul of gold and cash has added a new dimension to the raids. Authorities are now investigating the origins of the gold and cash, as well as the identities of those responsible for leaving the vehicle in the forest.
