The Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted searches on multiple premises linked to Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot in connection with a tax evasion case.
At least 16 locations in the national capital and adjoining Gurgaon are being raided by a team of over 60 ITD sleuths and police officials, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.
Gahlot is the minister for transport, law and revenue and is an Aam Admi Party (AAP) MLA from the Najafgarh Assembly Constituency.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said PM Narendra Modi should apologise to people for "constantly troubling" the Delhi government.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has often accused Centre of a witch-hunt and political vendetta.
In the past, several AAP MLAs have been arrested on allegations of rape, forgery and abetment to suicide, while some of them have been raided.
Here’s a list of cases against AAP leaders:
- In June 2015, Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar was arrested for forging his education degree and later removed from the ministry.
- In September 2016 Social Welfare, Women and Child Development Minister Sandeep Kumar was caught on tape in an objectional act with a woman, who later alleged rape. Kumar was arrested.
- A civil defamation suit was filed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over Kejriwal’s remarks about discrepancies in Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) accounts during Jaitley’s tenure as the cricket body chief. Jaitley also filed a case against four other AAP leaders. In April this year, Kejriwal and other four leaders individually tendered an apology to the finance minister. Jaitley said he was accepting the apology and did not wish to pursue his defamation suits.
- A case filed by a constable against Kejriwal for allegedly calling police personnel "thulla". A Delhi court discharged CM in the case in September 2018.
- In October 2015, Asim Ahmed, former food minister and AAP MLA from Matia Mahal was booked on bribery charges. CBI had booked Khan soon after Kejriwal sacked him after allegations that he had demanded Rs 6 lakh bribe from a builder.
- AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was booked by the CBI in November 2016for alleged irregularities in operations and job hiring at the Waqf Board when he was its chairman.
- In October 2013, Delhi Police registered an FIR against Manish Sisodia, Mukesh Hudda, Kumar Vishwas alleging that AAP had taken political mileage by pasting posters on the wall of a government school, thereby defacing it.
- It was alleged that on March 24, 2014, AAP MLA Gulab Singh and his supporters created a ruckus by “provoking” a mob in Dwarka with the body of a man who was murdered. Singh was booked under IPC sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and other sections.
- In October 2015, the CBI registered a case against Asim Ahmed Khan, the former food and supplies minister. CBI alleged he had demanded a Rs 8 lakh bribe from a construction contractor.
- AAP MLA Surender Singh was prosecuted for allegedly obstructing a public servant from discharging his duties and assaulting him.
- In June 2015, AAP MLA Somnath Bharti’s wife Lipika filed a domestic violence case against him.
(With inputs from agencies)
