BENGALURU: A couple of month's back, Income Tax sleuths had conducted a series of raids across Karnataka on politicians who had not filed their IT returns or those who they suspected had black money. They were, however, surprised to find a diary with suspicious entries at the residence of Karnataka Congress MLC Govind Raj. Sources from the department said that the diary was allegedly hidden in his bedroom.
The secret diary contains initials of individuals, their offices and entities that instantly arouse suspicion that money was collected and paid to them for services. It reportedly mentions the initials of all those who gave the influential legislator money and also those to whom he paid money. The diary contains accounts for a whopping amount of £60 million given to mysterious names like AICC, AP, M Vora, SG Office, and RG office. It also includes an entry for a 'steel bridge' for which an amount of £6.5 million was marked as received. Another entry shows £700,000 paid to media for Bengaluru Municipal Elections. Govind Raj was called in by the IT department for questioning about the entries when he claimed the handwriting was not his and the signatures were forged.
Meanwhile, Congress has called the diary fake and an attempt to malign the leader. BJP, on the other hand, has called for a detailed probe. Raj, is known to be close to top leaders and a party fund raiser. His contacts are not restricted to Karnataka alone, but is known to be associated with several politicians in New Delhi. BJP pointed fingers at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, saying she should come clean over the allegations.
"Congress has been quick to level allegations against others. But here, yet again, there are allegations just like in the AugustaWestland," BJP Spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said.
