The latest episode of issuance of notice by Income Tax department suspecting payment of bribe to the tune of Rs 118 crore to Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has given yet another weapon to the Andhra Pradesh government to launch crackdown on him.
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Tuesday announced launching of an investigation by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into the alleged Income Tax scandal involving Naidu, apart from intensifying the probe into the Skill Development Corporation Scam.
The CID has issued notices to key suspects in the Income Tax department case and also skill development scams, so as to probe common links between the two cases.
According to official sources, the state government is preparing to launch a comprehensive investigation to ascertain any potential common origins or connections between the IT Scam and the Skill development Corporation Scam.
“This move comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of public funds and possible irregularities in government contracts,” sources said.
Reports said the CID has issued notices to key figures associated with the IT scam, notably Manoj Vasudev Pardasanny, and Yogesh Gupta, in links to the Skill development Corporation Scam.
Yogesh Gupta played an important role in the Skill scam in re-routing Rs.371 Cr in five phases over a period of three months, also had a hand in this loot of public money. These individuals will be subjects of thorough inquiry.
The CID's primary focus is on uncovering any potential associations between the individuals involved in these scams, as this may shed light on the extent of the alleged corruption.
In November 2019, the Central Government's Income Tax Department carried out investigations on Manoj Vasudev Pardasanny, who represented Shapoorji Pallonji, the contractors responsible for projects including the Secretariat, High Court, Assembly, and TIDCO houses.
Over the past four years, these investigations have underscored the gravity of the accusations and the necessity for a thorough inquiry.
The Andhra Pradesh government is currently diligently examining these allegations, which suggest that the Andhra Pradesh Township and Infrastructure Development (TIDCO) may have inflated construction costs for housing projects and entertained proposals from specific companies.
“Serious allegations have been made against Chandrababu Naidu's PA Srinivas, who is suspected of receiving money in connection with both the IT Scam and the Skill Scam. Investigating agencies are actively pursuing leads suggesting that funds were collected in both scams,” the report said.
Additionally, there are accusations of funds reaching Chandrababu Naidu in Dubai. The CID is actively considering an inquiry into this aspect, and plans are in motion to send an investigative team to Dubai shortly to follow up on leads and collect evidence.
