Taxmen search associates of Bellary brothers

Amid allegations of horse-trading of MLAs in Karnataka with the Congress managing to convince one legislator not to resign.

Amid allegations of horse-trading of MLAs in Karnataka with the Congress managing to convince one legislator not to resign today Income Tax authorities on Monday conducted raids in over a dozen places around Bellary and Bangalore on a network of associates connnected to the Reddy brothers of Bellary.

They include a minister and two MLAs associated closely with the brothers,who are ministers in the BJP government in Karnataka.

IT sources,however,said the raids had nothing to do with the ongoing political crisis in the state,with the fate of the Karnataka government hinging on a high court judgment,but more a result of information gathered by the agency in recent days regarding the illegal mining trade in the state.

Investigations are on into illegal iron ore exports from the Bellary district of Karnataka.

The raids,that began early on Monday morning,were conducted on the residences of BJP MLAs from Bellary district T Suresh Babu and B Nagendra,as well as an office of Health Minister B Sreeramulu. Raids were also conducted on the premises of iron ore businessmen Somashekhar from Integrated Logistics Company and K Mahesh of the Lakshmi Venkateshwara Minerals firm. The premises of an advocate and a personal assistant linked to the Reddys were also searched,sources in Bellary said. All the people raided in Bellary are associated with the Bellary brothers in some way.

IT sources said the raids were part of an attempt to track the route of the money from the illegal trade.