On Wednesday, the Income Tax department conducted raids at the official and residential premises of Aniruddha Deshpande, Managing Director of City Corporations and promoter of Amanora Township in Pune, Maharashtra. Raids at the premises of Deshpande, who is a close aide of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar started early morning.
According to the local reports, around eight Income tax official teams have been deployed to conduct raids at the six locations linked to Deshpande in Pune. The IT officials are investigating financial transactions and tax evasion of these companies.
The team broke into the construction company of Deshpande named City Corporations. Along with this, a few teams from the Income Tax Department have been working inside Hadapsar’s renowned Amanora Tower since early in the day.
The Income Tax department’s raid on famous businessman Deshpande has caused a commotion in Pune’s business and political communities as Deshpande is a prominent businessman having close ties with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. Reports mention that Pawar and Deshpande have known each other for more than 20 years now.
Deshpande, a part-time developer in the early 1990s, met Pawar during a Pune automobile rally. Deshpande had a significant role in the formulation of Pune’s plan of development when Pawar acted as Maharashtra’s chief minister. Deshpande rose to fame as a real estate developer during that time.
Pawar and his family became owners of City Corporation with 16% stock when Deshpande founded it in 2004. Through two businesses, Namrata Films Enterprises and Lap Finance and Consultancy, Pawar is the shareholder of 33.6 lakhs of the 2.07 crore shares in City Corporation, as per reports.
Deshpande was also involved in the promotion of Lavasa City. The city was first visualized by Sharad Pawar. Supriya Sule, Pawar’s daughter, and her spouse Sadanand had stock in Lavasa, as per reports. Deshpande pulled out of the project in 2005, while Supriya and Sadanand left in 2004.
