CRPF, Police clash during Bhopal I-T raids

CRPF officials and state police faced off during a raid by the Income Tax officials, at the residence of Chief Minister Kamal Nath's aide Ashwin Sharma.

Bhopal: In a high-level drama, CRPF personnel accompanying IT officials conducting raids at the residence of Ashwin Sharma, linked to Chief Minister Kamal Nath, clashed with the state police in scenes, which evoked memories of the face-off between Kolkata police and CBI earlier this year.

Madhya Pradesh police personnel alleged that people inside the housing complex had reached out to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the area seeking assistance.

Ashwin Sharma is an associate of Praveen Kakkar, who is Kamal Nath's officer on special duty (OSD).

"We've nothing to do with Income Tax and its ongoing raids. It is a residential complex, there are people inside who need medical assistance and they called the local SHO for help. They have closed the entire residential complex because of the raid," said City SP Bhupinder Singh.

The CRPF, which is accompanying the IT officials in conducting the searches have alleged that the police was obstructing it from performing its duty.

Earlier, IT officials in pre-dawn swoop carried out raids at the residences of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's private secretary, Praveen kakkar, in Indore and former advisor R K Miglani in Delhi, on charges of alleged tax evasion.

Officials are conducting searches at 50 locations including Indore, Bhopal, Goa and Delhi, according to the sources.