The series of raids conducted by the Income Tax Department on the Oneness group, having centres in Chennai, Bengaluru and Varadaiahpalem in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, revealed “suppression of receipts” and non-accounting of cash collection for buying properties over and above their documented value.
A preliminary estimate of such unaccounted cash receipts is said to be ₹409 crore from the financial year 2014-15 onwards alone.
The department also stumbled upon huge sums in foreign currencies worth about $2.5 million (₹18 crore in Indian currency), apart from undisclosed gold weighing 88 kg (worth ₹26 crore) and 1,271 carats of undisclosed diamonds (₹5 crore), which were also seized. Meanwhile, vice-president of the group Lokeshji acknowledged the conduct of raids at the Ekam Oneness and One Humanity Care Centres in Varadaiahpalem, but denied arrest of any persons or seizure of cash or any documents.
“The full details of the raids are yet to be revealed,” he said in a release.
The raids started on Wednesday morning and continued till Friday evening.
‘Major scam’
Meanwhile, K. Adimoolam, MLA of the Satyavedu constituency under which Varadaiahpalem mandal falls, demanded that Kalki, head of the movement, come forward and throw light on the controversy.
Mr. Adimoolam said he had a right to demand a full-fledged probe into what he termed “a major scam.”
Published - October 19, 2019 08:00 am IST
