Bhopal: Tension prevailed at one of the places raided by the Income Tax sleuths on Sunday evening in Bhopal after heated arguments broke out between the officers of CRPF guarding the IT team and cops from Madhya Pradesh police. The IT officers carried out raids at premises of various persons associated with Chief Minister Kamal Nath in Indore, Bhopal and New Delhi since wee hours on Sunday.
A group of policemen accompanied by senior officers reached the Platinum Plaza where the NGO office of Ashwin Sharma, seen a relative of Praveen Kakkad, ex-OSD to Chief Minister Kamal Nath. The MP police officers wanted entry into the restricted area saying they have been receiving complaints from the residents of the complex who have complained that their movement is being restricted by the CRPF personnel.
The CRPF officers denied police officers entry into the restricted zone saying those who are being questioned, are inside the locked out premises. Soon after the officers from both the sides had heated exchanges and came face-to-face.
The claims of locals being hassled seemed true to an extent as soon after an ambulance landed at the spot and attended a woman patient who lives in the complex.
Speaking to the media, Pradeep Kumar an officer from CRPF told the media that they were only following orders from the seniors who have instructed them not to let anybody enter the said area where the raid was on. He also accused MP police of hurling abuses and interfering their work.
Kumar however later had claimed that there was no confrontation with the MP police and only was a miscommunication. He denied anyone in the complex was hassled with the IT action and their security. CRPF officers later claimed the MP police personnel had retreated from the spot.
However, the MP police personnel were resent in the nearby area. CSP Bhupendra Singh after the altercation with CRPF officers clarified to the media persons that arrival of MP police had nothing to do with the IT action going on and had responded to distress calls from the residents of Platinum Plaza who claimed that one of them needed medical assistance and disallowed the same by the CRPF.
The CRPF has closed down the entire complex due to the raid, alleged the CSP. The CRPF officers however claimed the situation was absolutely normal but later a bus carrying their jawans from their Bangrasia base in Bhopal reached the spot.
Later, a currency counting machine was brought to the spot suggesting that large amounts of cash was received from the office of Sharma, who is said to be found in possession of ten posh cars. Sources also claimed Sharma could be taken to New Delhi for further questioning.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Kamal Nath in a statement claimed that the details of the IT raids were not clear and anything could be said once the situation is clear. “When the BJP saw an imminent defeat in LS polls, it has resorted to such acts to intimidate others which they have been doing in last five years. They had used these gimmicks in last assembly polls as well, Nath claimed.
Leader of Opposition in the State assembly Gopal Bhargav slammed State government saying it was only an attempt to distract attention from raids by fuelling clashes between state and central police. Sources also claimed that sensing the situation, the IT sleuths without informing local police had conducted raids after midnight. Similar raids have been carried out in Indore and New Delhi as well.