IT department raids IPL franchises

The Income Tax department today conducted raids at the office of the Sahara Group in Aliganj, Lucknow, in connection with the Indian Premiere League (IPL) controversy. Sahara Group is the owner of IPL's Pune team and the IT department is said to have surveyed the office to check the relevant papers in the matter.

According to Sahara officials they were extending full cooperation to the IT department as they had nothing to hide.

The IPL and its associates have been subjected to nationwide tax raids in the past few days. IPL officials have been summoned on Friday to hand over all paper work related to the tournament.

Many franchises have risen in support of Modi saying he was responsible for the success of the IPL and should be allowed to continue.

Meanwhile, tax officials claim to have unearthed 'incriminating evidence' of irregularities in the search operations they carried out at the offices of the Bengal Cricket Association and Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders. The search conducted lasted well till the early hours of this morning.

According to Indian Revenue Service deputy director, Akhilendu Jadhav, the officials had found incriminating evidence and they would investigate further. He added that the department wanted to have a look at certain transactions and it had found whatever the officials were looking for.