Surat: 'Chaiwala' owns assets worth Rs 650 crore, Rs 1 crore in new notes seized

SURAT: In continued post-demonetisation crackdown on black money, stashes of new notes have been seized in several states, including Rs 1.05 crore from a tea seller-turned-financier in Gujarat. The Income Tax Department raided the premises of city-based tea seller-turned-financier Kishore Bhaijyawala and seized cash worth approximately Rs 400 crores, including cash, bullion, jewellery and property papers from his possession. According to sources, the evidences with RBI indicate Bhaijyawala owns assets worth Rs 600 crore. They added that while 13 of his bank lockers have been opened till now, four more are in the process to be opened and the expected seizure of assets may increase. The sources added that the interception was made in the city as part of taxman’s anti-black money probe post demonetisation. More cash seized: The I-T department seized Rs 66 lakh cash, all in new Rs 2000 notes, in Hyderbad. The first incident was reported at the Telugu Academy in Himayatnagar on December 16 when an I-T team intercepted few people who ran into a nearby apartment on seeing the team. More seizured were made in Andhra Pradesh today as nine persons were detained in Duppada village in Vizianagaram while trying to exchange notes. Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, most of it in new Rs 2,000 denomination and rest in Rs 100 notes. A senior official of Excise and Prohibition Department was allegedly found in possession of assets worth about Rs five crore and Rs seven lakh in Rs 2,000 notes were also seized from him, Anti-Corruption Bureau sources said today. Cash totalling Rs 58,000 in new curreny was also seized from two customs officials in Pallia town on India-Nepal border last night, UP police said today. Rs 18 lakh in new currency notes were recovered from Sector 57 in Noida on the outskirts of national capital In Amritsar, three persons have been arrested with 600 gram of heroin and Rs 12 lakh in new high-value currency in Punjab's Amritsar district. The three were arrested outside a Suvidha centre in Pataka market on Chamrang road before they could deliver the heroin. Police said a total of Rs 15.49 lakh was seized from them, and out of that Rs 12 lakh was in the new high-value notes. (With inputs from PTI)