ADVERTISEMENT

Income Tax Department Raids Popular Food Chains In Tamil Nadu

Income tax department conducts searches at over two dozen premises of popular food chains including Saravana Bhavan.

Tables are set at Dakshin restaurant at the Sheraton hotel in New Delhi, India. (Photograph: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg News)
Tables are set at Dakshin restaurant at the Sheraton hotel in New Delhi, India. (Photograph: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg News)

The Income Tax Department on Thursday conducted searches at over two dozen premises of popular hotel and restaurant chains in Tamil Nadu on charges of alleged tax evasion, officials said.

They said the raids are being carried out at 32 locations of companies like Saravana Bhavan, Hot Bread, Anjappal and Grand Sweets. The residences and offices of the directors of these food-joint chains are being raided by a team of over 100 I-T sleuths, the officials said.

These hotels serve some of the best south Indian delicacies, including cakes, pastries and sweets, that are even shipped abroad, a senior official said.

The officials said the department is looking into allegations of suppression of income by these groups by various means and hence decided to conduct searches and obtain further evidences.