Tamil Nadu: I-T searches on jewellery, bullion group reveal over Rs 1,000 crores undisclosed income

The Income Tax Department carried out searches on Thursday in premises of a leading bullion trader in Tamil Nadu and one of the biggest jewellery retailers in South India which resulted in the detection of undisclosed income of more than Rs 1,000 crores, said the Union Ministry of Finance on Sunday.

A statement released by the Finance Ministry today said that unaccounted cash of Rs 1.2 crores has been seized so far in the investigation.

The pieces of evidence found in the premises of the bullion trader revealed that there were unaccounted cash sales, according to the statement.

"Bogus cash credits from its branches, cash credits in dummy accounts in the guise of advance for purchases, unexplained cash deposits during the demonetization period, bogus outstanding sundry creditors and huge unexplained stock variations were detected in the search operation," it said.

As per the statement, the evidence found in the premises of the jewellery retailer revealed that the taxpayer received and repaid cash loans from local financiers.

"The jeweller retailer had given cash loans to builders and made cash investments in real estate properties, made unaccounted gold bullion purchases, claimed wrongful bad debts and inflated wastages in the conversion of old gold to fine gold and jewellery making," the statement read.

The search operation was carried out at 27 premises located in Chennai, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Trissur, Nellore, Jaipur and Indore.

The investigation is underway.

( With inputs from ANI )