CBDT to probe who leaked Ponty Chadha raids info

The Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT) will investigate how information on the Income Tax department's raids on liquor baron Gurpreet Chadha alias Ponty Chadha was leaked earlier this month.

The CBDT said that it was confirmed that 100 crore rupees were in Chadha's locker but when the I-T department reached there, only a Rs 100 note was found.

The CBDT said that Chadha's daily income receipt is over Rs 50 crore but even cash from daily earnings was not available on the day of the raids.

Just Rs 2 crore worth cash was seized and gold jewellery worth Rs 5 crore, sources added.

Even the computers in Chadha's office were reprogrammed prior to raid to eradicate evidence.

Sources told CNN-IBN that the DG Investigations in Delhi has come under the under scanner. Sources said that he is likely to be transferred.

Chadha is known to be very close to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigation of Income Tax had raided 17 places belonging to the liquor baron across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh including his multiplexes in Noida and sprawling farm house in Chattarpur spread over 13 acres.

Ponty Chadha is the sole liquor distributor in Uttar Pradesh, and Income Tax sources said that each bottle sold in UP is priced above MRP. The margin money is shared between Ponty and UP politicians.

Since Mayawati came to power in Lucknow, Ponty has expanded his business empire to real estate, sugar mills and film production.