Modi & Co to get the full-body check

So instead of officials — involved in Thursday’s operation — being called to the New Delhi headquarters of the Director General (Investigations) for making an assessment of the case,a high-level team flew down to Mumbai today as an indication of the seriousness the probe has acquired.

In fact,the Chandigarh investigation wing of the Income Tax Department carried out a “survey” late evening at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium,Mohali. “Instructions were received from the Mumbai wing acting upon which a team of around six IT investigators was sent,” said a senior officer.

At this stage,officers involved in the case said,search-and-seizure operations cannot be ruled out. While officials said it’s too early to detail the documentation recovered from the offices of IPL and Modi yesterday,CCTV footage retrieved from Four Seasons Hotel in Parel,where Modi has a suite as his temporary office,is being carefully reviewed.

Reason: when the first batch of IT officials reached BCCI headquarters in Churchgate yesterday,they were told that some important documents were lying in Modi’s office in Parel. They now claim that since IPL bosses were forewarned,they succeeded in “spiriting away” papers before the IT team could reach Parel.

Says a senior official: “The CCTV footage retrieved by us clearly shows IPL officials leaving the hotel with papers and briefcases,minutes before the IT team reached the target destination. We are now trying to identify the officials and make a damage-control assessment.”

Instructions given to the inquiry team today are that besides papers on the formation of IPL teams and money transfers,also under the scanner will be bidding documents and all IPL-related contracts.

These would include: contracts signed by Modi and his team for IPL’s TV rights,theatre rights,mobile streaming rights,portal and production rights,all merchandise contracts; contracts to his relatives and friends and international money transfers.