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Matchfixing: Operation Eyewash in offing?

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Samata Party president Jaya Jaitley could well have intimidated the income tax officials who conducted raids at the offices and homes of leading cricketers in the capital on July 20.

Jaitley had levelled several charges at the IT officials at a press conference last week. She accused the IT officials of corruption and also complained in person to Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha about the claims made by his deputy Dhananjaya Kumar and Minister of State for Sport Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

The effect of her tactics was visible to waiting newsmen when an IT team arrived at Ajay Jadeja's Greater Kailash Part II home for the second time this fortnight, on Tuesday. What surprised the tax officials was the visit made by Bhaskar Reddy, additional director, income tax, to Jadeja's home.

"When an IT party is raiding the house, no other official visits that place. Here it seems Reddy went to Jadeja's residence to ensure that nobody was being harassed. This kind of thing is unheard of in the income tax department. Secondly, any questioning is done at the income tax office. But here our teams were waiting for the cricketers at Delhi and Hyderabad airports. After yesterday's raids, I am convinced the department has already started Operation Eyewash. The only person who might suffer is Kapil Dev who has no political master to defend him," a top income tax official told rediff.com

Reddy also visited Jaitley's home after she complained about the IT raiding party who arrived there on July 20.

Other IT officials were wary of comment. "We have been told not to interact with pressmen even if they are our friends. So we are not in a position to tell you anything. You should ask the director general, investigation, about the progress in various cases," said an IT source.

Repeated attempts to contact S C Parija, the DG, investigation, were stonewalled by his personal assistants. "He has just left for another meeting and will be available only at night," they said.

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