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Income Tax Raids On Nearly 40 Popular Nightclubs & Bars In Goa; ‘Most Businesses Underreported Revenue,’ Says Official

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Income Tax raids on popular nightclubs, bars and fine dining restaurants for alleged tax evasion and unaccounted cash income siphoned to business associates heralded the new year in Goa.

Popular high end night club Hammerzz at Calangute, open air Titli Culinary Bar at Orzan Beach, Vagator, the upscale Greek tavern Thalassa at Siolim and Morjim, sundowner bar Romeo Lane on Vagator beach were among the 40 odd premises raided by the Income Tax department on Tuesday morning.

60 Individuals’ Residences Raided

The taxmen also raided the residences of about 60 individuals, including Hammerz nightclub partners Siddhesh Kudtarkar, Ketan Patel and Rajeev Punwani, Greek nationals Mariketty Grana and her son Spiro Grana who run Thalassa, Romeo Lane founders Saurabh Luthra and Gaurav Luthra.

According to Income Tax officials, the promoters and management of Hammerz nightclub were conduits for cash collections of all the major nightclubs and bars in Goa and illegal money transfers abroad through hawala channels.

Siddhesh Kudtarkar founder of Team Innovation is also named in Mumbai Police FIR for illegal sale of India New Zealand semi final match tickets last November in black.

Mahadev book promoter Saurabh Chandrasekhar had laundered cricket betting and match fixing profits and investing in Team Innovation LLP founded by Mohit Bijlani and Siddhesh Kudtarkar to run nightclubs and bars in Goa, Dubai and London.

I-T Response Over The Raids

“Most of the nightclubs and bars underreported the revenue and did not maintain proper books of accounts. The hospitality business is booming with record number of tourists visiting Goa for Diwali, Christmas and New Year but the tax returns do not match the business generated,” contended a senior Income Tax official.

The raids have put a dampener on the festive spirits and roaring business of nightclubs, bars and restaurants in north Goa.

Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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Crime

Wildlife Smuggling Racket Busted: Rare Snakes, Reptiles, Caged Orangutan Rescued From Dombivli House

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Thane: In a significant operation exposing a wildlife smuggling racket, the Forest Officials rescued rare species of animals from a highrise in Dombivli. The officials raided an apartment in Palava City, Dombivli and found exotic animals including lizard, turtles, rare species snakes and other reptiles stored in the flat. Horrifying enough, the team found a monkey caged in the washroom of the apartment.

It was later confirmed that the rescued animals included Ignuana (lizard), an Orangutan and python. The operation was conducted by the Forest Range Officers from Thane and Kalyan along with a team from Manpada Police Station after a tip.

The officials did not find any accused present in the apartment at the time of the raid. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has been registered and a search for the accused is underway. Meanwhile, the seized species are handed over to a local NGO on a temporary basis for observation.

The video of the forest officials raid surfaced on the internet shows a boy opening the door of the well-kept apartment. After entering the flat, the officials gradually come across wildlife species stores in small cage, plastic boxes piled up in the passage and shocking enough an Orangutan in washroom at the end of the apartment.

As per the statement issued by the police, the teams raided the 8th floor apartment in B wing of Savarna Building in Palava City, Dombivli. In the action, the exotic animals seized as prima facie identified as python, ignuana (lizard), turtle, snake etc. The seized wildlife species, on temporary basis, are handed over to Birsa Munda- a local NGO. The pachanama, documentation and search for the accused is underway, it added.

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Crime

Mumbai: Unidentified Body Of Man Chopped Into 7 Pieces Stuffed In Plastic Boxes Found Near Gorai Beach; Probe On

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Mumbai: The dismembered body of a man, estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old, was discovered in several plastic boxes on the side road which goes to Gorai Beach in Mumbai on Sunday.

Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the scene and took the body into custody. It was later sent for a post-mortem examination. The body has not yet been identified, and a case has been registered.

According to police, on Sunday, a male body was found near Picxy Hotel, Babar Pada, Gorai, Borivali West. The body was cut into seven parts and packed in four plastic boxes. The deceased, believed to be between 25 and 40 years old, was wearing dark blue jeans and black shoes. His right hand bore tattoos.

A resident named Santosh Shinde, 55, from Mira Road, informed the Gorai police after learning about the incident. The Gorai police recovered the body from Shefali village in the Babarpada area.

A forensic team is currently investigating the case, and inquiries are ongoing in the vicinity of the incident location. Police have stated that the recovered body remains unidentified. The Gorai police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.

A special team has been formed to investigate, and information is being gathered from CCTV footage and nearby police stations to assist in identifying the body.

A police officer said that the body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for a post-mortem. “We can’t conclude anything immediately, as we are still investigating the matter,” the officer said.

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