Bengaluru: The Income Tax (I-T) officials conducted searches on the residence of N Nagaraju alias MTB Nagaraj, Congress MLA from Hoskote on Thursday. With this, Nagaraj became the second Congress legislator in the state to come under the I-T department scanner in less than a month.
The I-T sleuths began searches at his residence at Garudacharpalya, near Mahadevapura, and several other premises owned by his family. This includes an educational institution that his family runs in Hoskote.
Nagaraju is said to be among the close followers of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. His son B.N. Nithish Purushotham, is a corporator representing Garudacharpalya ward in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council.
Earlier, on January 19, the premises of Small Scale Industries Minister Ramesh L. Jarkiholi, and State Mahila Congress president Lakshmi R. Hebbalkar were searched by I-T sleuths, who found undisclosed income of over Rs 162 crore in all.
Sources said the searches on the properties of Nagaraj were in connection with his family’s links to investments in real estate that spans across land, commercial complexes and a marriage hall.
