One of Belagavi’s politically powerful families, the Jarkiholis, woke up to a shocker on Thursday morning.
Income Tax sleuths from Goa and Karnataka conducted multiple raids on the residences of Minister of Small Scale Industries, Ramesh Jarkiholi, his brother, Lakhan Jarkiholi, who is the district-in-charge Minister of Belagavi, and the Jarkiholis’ associate Lakshmi Hebbalkar, who is also the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress at 8.00 am.
Raids were also carried out in the homes of the Jarkiholis’ business associates – SD Mullah, an official with the Cauvery Neeravai Nigama Ltd, and Ali.
While the raids occurred in Ramesh Jarkiholi’s Bengaluru and Gokak homes, the residences of Lakhan, Mullah and Ali’s located in Gokak, and Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s Belagavi one were raided.
I-T sleuths alleged that there were discrepancies in tax returns filed by the Jarkiholis and Hebbalkar. The raids were carried out on the suspicion that these political leaders had misappropriated their assets, media reports suggest.
The I-T officials are inspecting property documents of the Jakiholis, Hebbalkar and their business associates currently.
The property documents of Lakshmi Hebbalkar between 2010 and 2017 are being inspected as the sleuths allegedly found discrepancies in documents pertaining to the sugar factory that she is constructing at Belagavi’s Karikatti village, Suvarna News reported.
This is the first instance of Income Tax sleuths conducting raids on the homes of politicians in the state since demonetisation.
No matter which party has been in power, the Jarkiholi brothers have ruled the roost in Belagavi for over two decades.
The family members contest from different political parties during the polls and ensure that one of them grabs a ministerial post.
From arrack contractors, the Jarkiholis rose to becoming one of the most powerful families in the district and control its sugar production. The family holds three of Belagavi’s largest sugar factories and the construction of another one is underway.
Ramesh Jarkiholi, a four-time member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, represents the Gokak constituency, which has been ruled by the family for over 15 years. His brothers, Balachandra and Satish represent the Arabhavi and Yamakanamaradi constituencies in Belagavi as well.
Ramesh was first elected as an MLA in 1999 through a Janata Dal (United) seat in Gokak and since 2004, has contested the polls as a member of the Congress party.