Income-Tax Department officials on Wednesday visited the premises of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to examine documents pertaining to Royal Challengers' team. It is learnt that the intelligence wing of the IT department spent hours verifying several financial documents of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisee Royal Challengers Bangalore and the KSCA.

The officials also visited the office of the IPL franchisee in the UB City. The verification included payment made to the players and transactions between the IPL franchisee and the state cricket association.

It is learnt that the IT officials verified documents related to communication between the KSCA and RCB at the Royal Challengers KSCA Academy premises.

According to sources, the investigation by the IT officials follows the letter by the Union Sports Minister, Mr Ajay Maken, to the Finance Ministry seeking for income tax and enforcement directorate investigations into the financial transactions in IPL.

Top sources in the Income Tax Department here clarified that that the visit by the officials was not a raid but a ‘survey'. Sources also clarified that officials from Bangalore were not a part of the survey.

“Only the business premises would be visited in a survey unlike the raid that covers the residential premises also. Besides, a raid requires warrant for search and seizure. Survey on the other hand involves verification of financial documents, challans and others,” the official said.

According to the KSCA Managing Committee Member, Mr Vijay Bharadwaj, it was a routine visit by the authorities, and that it was not a raid. “They came to the KSCA and since there was no space there, they moved over to the Royal Challengers KSCA Academy. Usually they call us over and we met them today when they came over.” — Our Bureau

PTI adds:

The Income Tax authorities today conducted surveys at the offices of Indian Premier League team franchises Pune Warriors in Pune and Mumbai as part of their probe into alleged tax evasion.

I-T sources said officials were sent to collect documents and details of the transactions, share holding patterns and financial investments of the franchises. The survey is also conducted at Amby Valley in Lonavala near Mumbai in connection with the Pune Warriors case, they said. The Income Tax department is looking for the funding patterns for purchase of players by these franchises.

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