UP: Income Tax department raids Samajwadi Party MLC Pushpraj Jain’s premises

LUCKNOW/KANPUR: Around 40 premises, mostly linked to perfume manufacturers were searched by the Income Tax (I-T) department in Kanpur, Kannauj, the national capital region and a few other places on Friday morning. The I-T department conducted raids on the establishments and residences of two perfume traders, including SP MLC Pushpraj Jain alias Pampi Jain, who had launched Samajwadi perfume, in Kannauj.

Sources privy to the probe said that crores of tax evasion had surfaced in the probe. Pushpraj Jain Pampi is a Member of the Legislative Council from the Samajwadi Party in UP. He had launched the ‘Samajwadi ittra’ or perfume last month in the presence of SP president Akhilesh Yadav ahead of the upcoming 2022 elections. Raids were also being conducted at another Kannauj-based perfume trader Mohammad Yaqub. The Samajwadi Party also took a dig at the BJP accusing it of misusing central agencies. “After the huge failure of last time, this time BJP’s ultimate ally I-T has finally raided SP MLC Shri Pushpraj Jain and other perfume traders of Kannauj. Open misuse of central agencies by the scared BJP is common in UP elections.

The people are watching everything, they will answer with their vote,” read the SP’s official Twitter handle. The searches were also carried out at the premises of Pushpraj Jain in Kannauj, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mumbai and Agra. His factory in Hathras has also been raided. Pushpraj’s factory is on the Siktra road of Hasayan in Hathras. Pushpraj Jain was in the news since the treasures were found at Piyush Jain’s house in Kannauj and Kanpur. When Pushpraj Jain’s name cropped up with Piyush Jain, he had said that he had nothing to do with Piyush Jain. Pushpraj’s regional office is in Mumbai. Sources said that his perfume business was also spread across the Gulf countries.