The Income Tax Department has searched the office premises of multiple food and beverages companies in Mumbai, including one linked to actor Shilpa Shetty, on charges of tax evasion, official sources said on Thursday.
They said about 20-24 premises in and around Mumbai were being raided since Wednesday after the department got "actionable" inputs against certain companies in this sector who are alleged to have been undertaking "out of the books" or cash transactions.
The sources said the searches have covered some office premises of a restaurant co-owned by Shetty and some others. They denied that her Mumbai house was being raided by the taxman.
The tax officials said the I-T investigation was neither linked to a Maharashtra Police FIR against Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra (on charges of fraud) nor one registered by Bengaluru police against a local restaurant for allegedly operating post the legal working hours.
The Bengaluru restaurant is stated to be co-owned by Shetty.
On Wednesday, Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) invoked cheating charge against the high-profile couple in addition to criminal breach of trust.
According to an official, earlier the case was registered under section 406 of the IPC (punishment for criminal breach of trust) against the celebrity couple and after investigation, section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) has been added.
However, Shetty and her husband issued a statement on social media categorically denying the allegations against them and stating that they "fully cooperated" with the investigation and were sanguine.
They said justice will prevail and they have complete faith in the law enforcement authorities and the judicial system of the country.
"We categorically deny the baseless and motivated allegations being circulated. The issues sought to be raised are being given a criminal colour without any lawful basis," he said in a post.
"A quashing petition has already been filed before the Hon'ble High Court and is pending adjudication. Having fully cooperated with the investigation, we are sanguine that justice will prevail and have complete faith in law enforcement authorities and the Indian judiciary. We respectfully urge the media to exercise restraint as the matter is sub-judice." Kundra said further.
