IT Department Attaches Assets Worth Rs 225 Crore Of Mayawati's Ex-Aide

The Income Tax department has attached assets worth Rs 225 crore of Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's former secretary Net Ram and his associates as part of an alleged tax evasion probe against them, officials told news agency PTI today.

After 26-hour-long raids on Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's former secretary last week, the IT department recovered cash worth over 1 crore, Mont Blanc pens worth Rs 50 lakh and documents indicating illegal assets worth Rs 225 crore.

Officials said a provisional order under section 132(9B) (power to attach) of the I-T Act has been issued and 20 immovable assets in Delhi, Mumbai, Noida and Kolkata have been attached and three luxury cars found at the residence of the officer in Lucknow have been impounded.

A retired IAS officer, Netram was believed to be quite close to Mayawati during her tenure as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister between 2007 and 2012. He was the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister for five years.

IT department officials had swooped down on a dozen premises linked to the 1979-batch Indian Administrative Service officer on March 12 after it obtained "credible inputs" that the former top bureaucrat and his associates have made "accommodation or bogus entries of about Rs 95 crore from Kolkata-based shell firms" in the past.

A Dalit by caste, he held key posts like principal secretary in the department of agriculture and also headed the excise, sugarcane, food and civil supplies department.

Later, when Akhilesh Yadav became the Chief Minister in 2012, Netram was moved to insignificant posts. He retired in 2014 as the Director General of the Academy of Administration and Management.