I-T sleuths raid bldgs linked to Buhari & ETA groups in state

CHENNAI: After a brief lull, the income tax department resumed its search and seizure operations in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The investigation wing of the department raided offices and residences associated with Buhari and Emirates Trading Agency (ETA) groups in Chennai, Keelakkarai, Tuticorin and other cities of the country. Both the groups are owned by the family of B S Abdur Rahman.

The searches involving more than 800 officers across the country follow information of concealment of income and tax evasion, sources said. “The two groups have offices across the country and abroad, including the UAE, but the groups have their base in Tamil Nadu,“ said an official overseeing the operation. Buhari and ETA are involved in construction, en gineering and maintenance of big buildings in Chennai, including the City Centre Mall on

Radhakrishnan Salai

.“We also have information on possible tax evasion by the group firms. In city alone, we are conducting searches at 15 places. The groups also owns an old engineering college on the city suburbs,“ said the official.

The raids come after continuous searches on various businessmen and officials post demonetisation. “The searches are also being conducted in the offices of the groups in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai,“ said the official. Buhari has big projects in these cities. In Chennai, apart from City Centre, the company has ETA Technopark.

“We are searching properties of industrialist and educationist B S Abdur Rehman. This includes his residence at Nungambakkam, his son-in-law Halith's place on

Khadar Nawaz Khan Road

, the premises of B S

Abdur Rahman University

and its corporate office on Moores Road. TA group companies at Saligramam and a five-star hotel at Teynampet were searched. More than 75 premises of this and the Buhari Group offices are being searched, said IT sources.

“The quantum of cash, gold and silver articles and documents seized will be known after the search operations end,“ an I-T official source said. “Among the raids conducted so far, after Shekar Reddy, we feel the searches on these two groups will be the largest as they have business interests across India and abroad. We also searched Rehman's house in his native place at Keelakarai,“ said the official.