IT sleuths arrives as 'Baraat' to conduct surprise raid in Kodagu

On April 26, the Income Tax officials disguised themselves as a wedding party to conduct raids on coffee growers in Kodagu district of Karnataka. The raid that redefines undercover operation saw a team of 40 officials along with cops posing as wedding party to get entry inside the SLN Coffee premises to raid it. 

The team from Mysuru and KR Nagar went in 13 Innova cars that had placards reading ‘Deewana weds Komala’ and were decorated with flowers to avoid any suspicion. Then, the team as wedding party entered the homes of SLN Group partners and brothers - N Sathappan and N Vishwanathan located in Kushalnagar, the Times of India quoted a source as confirming. 

Both the brothers did not realise that it was an IT raid until the officials revealed their true identity. The team started the raid at 8 am and searched houses and also properties of SLN Coffee Group located in Koppa and Kushalnagar as well as export centres of this coffee company. 

Also, raids were conducted in the company’s coffee work unit based in Kudige, allied businesses - petrol pump, Purple View Hotel in Kushalnagar, Eden Garden Resort in Guddehosur village. The national daily quoted sources as saying that the IT department also conducted raids in the homes of the parents of N Sathappan and N Vishwanathan in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. 

Apart of SLN Coffee Group, IT raids were also conducted at CP Coffee Exports located at Kudige Industrial Estate area. 

• Income tax raid
• IT raid
• IT Sleuths