Benami Battle: IT Attaches Assets Worth Over ₹ 900 Crore In Madhya Pradesh | File Photo
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a major hotspot for benami properties, with the Income Tax (IT) Department’s Benami Prohibition Unit (BPU) in Bhopal making significant strides in cracking down on such illegal transactions.
Since the implementation of the amended Prohibition of Benami Property Act in 2016, the BPU has attached more than 1,400 benami properties worth over Rs 900 crore — the highest number of attachments by any Benami Unit across the country.
Benami transactions, in which property is purchased in the name of a proxy (benamidar) while the real owner remains hidden, have been a growing concern in the state. The BPU has uncovered increasingly sophisticated methods employed by the real beneficial owners to conceal their identities.
Notably, non-tribal individuals were found using tribals as proxies to buy land in tribal areas. Several resorts built within the Pench Tiger Reserve were among those attached in this operation. In one high-profile case, shares worth hundreds of crores held by benami employees and promoters of a prominent Bhopal-based listed company were seized after the BPU unravelled a complex scheme.
Another major case involved a ‘Satta’ organiser who misappropriated public funds to acquire properties worth crores by opening bank accounts in the names of rickshaw pullers and vegetable vendors.The BPU is also investigating benami properties linked to politicians and bureaucrats across Madhya Pradesh.
Lens on Mendori haul
The I-I department’s BPU is now investigating a sensational case involving the seizure of 52 kg of gold and Rs 11 crore in cash from an abandoned vehicle in Mendori village. This discovery, which took place recently, has raised suspicions of possible benami transactions, with the authorities closely examining the origin and ownership of the assets.
Cent percent success
The Income Tax (IT) Department’s Benami Prohibition Unit (BPU) in Bhopal has achieved an impressive success rate of over 95% in securing confirmation of its provisional attachments from the adjudicating authority. Moreover, in appeals before the Appellate Tribunal, the BPU boasts a success rate of 100%.
Leading from the front
Satish Goyal, the Director General of Income Tax (DGIT) Investigation for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, commended the exceptional efforts of the Benami Prohibition Unit (BPU) in Bhopal for its success in addressing the rising issue of benami transactions in the region. He said that BPU Bhopal stands as the leading unit in the country, with one of the highest numbers of benami property attachments, underscoring its crucial role in the fight against black money and corruption. The unit is headed by Joint Commissioner of Income Tax Saagar Srivastava and operates under the Investigation Directorate led by PDIT Amaresh Singh. Investigating officers Anjan Kumar and Kamal Joshi are also integral to the unit’s operations.
