'I-T raids were aimed at damaging my image', says BRS MLA

Hyderabad, June 18:  Paillas Shekhar Reddy, one of the two BRS MLAs whose houses and offices were searched by the Income Tax department for three days, alleged that the raids were aimed at damaging his reputation.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Bhongir constituency alleged that the I-T raids were conducted for three days to damage his clean image.

The MLA said he extended full cooperation to the I-T department during the searches conducted for three days at his house and offices.

He denied that the I-T officials also searched the premises of his relatives. He said there was no truth in reports that some key documents were seized from the houses of his relatives.

Shekhar Reddy denied that he has a mining business in South Africa. He was talking to media persons at his camp office in Bhongir in Yadadri Bhongir district.

He arrived in the constituency for the first time after the IT searches. BRS workers accorded him a warm welcome with a huge rally.

The IT officials continued searches at the residences of Shekhar Reddy, another MLA Marri Janardhan Reddy in Hyderabad and at other locations for three days till June 16.

The searches were reportedly conducted at about 60 locations linked to the businesses of the MLAs and their family members.

Janardhan Reddy represents Nagarkurnool Assembly constituency.

Searches were conducted at the office of JC Brothers, a retail textile chain owned by Janardhan Reddy. The MLA owns JC Brothers Holdings Limited and some infra projects. The IT officials were reportedly probing suspected tax evasion in retail showrooms and infra projects of JC Brothers.

Similarly, searches also continued at the premises of Vaishnavi Group allegedly linked to Shekhar Reddy. He was previously associated with Theertha Projects and Sri Lorven Syndicate Private Limited.

Theertha Projects is into real estate, software, mining, drilling. The company has a presence in Hyderabad, Karnataka and is also engaged in few projects in African countries.

Janardhan Reddy questioned if it is written in the Constitution that MLAs can't do business. "We are promptly paying income tax on our businesses. So far we may have paid Rs 200 crore as income tax," Janardhan Reddy said.