Srinagar: Crime Branch sleuths on Monday searched multiple places including offices of persons allegedly involved in fraudulent income tax refund cases.
In a statement, the agency said that multiple teams of the Economic Offences Wing, Srinagar (Crime Branch Kashmir), in the presence of Executive Duty Magistrates, today carried out search of numerous residences and office premises of accused/suspect individuals allegedly involved in Case FIR Nos. 27/2023 and 28/2023 of Police Station EOW, Srinagar (CB-Kashmir).
“The cases pertain to the criminal manipulation/ tampering of electronic and other data which enabled the perpetrators of the crime to fraudulently claim refund of Income Tax shown to have been earlier deducted at source etc,” it said.
The said criminal acts have resulted in wrongful pecuniary gains running into crores of rupees to the accused individuals while causing a corresponding financial loss to the Income Tax Department, Government of India.
The agency said that these cases had been registered on 25-05-2023 upon receipt of a complaint from the Office of the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax,Srinagar.
“The searches were carried out as part of the ongoing investigation of the cases. Due diligence and all procedures mandated by law were followed in conducting the searches,” it said.
The agency said that no arrests were made during the search operation. “However, some incriminating documents, desktop and laptop computers, etc. have been recovered and seized. These have been taken on record for examination and further analysis as probable evidence in the cases,” it said.
Investigation of the cases is progressing satisfactorily and further updates would be shared at an opportune time in the future, it added.
