IT raids various properties of Coffee Day promoter Siddharth

In an early morning swoop Income Taxsleuths conducted simultaneous search and seizure operations on CafeCoffee Day (CCD), a chain of leading coffee cafes owned by noted businessman V G Siddharth in the city, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan inKarnataka, besides Mumbai and Chennai. Mr Siddharth, who had been under IT scanner for sometime, is the son-in-law of former External Affairs Minister S MKrishna, who recently quit Congress party to join the BJP.

Official sources said the search operations which were conductedin nearly 20 places across the country were still on at theCCD head office in posh UB City complex in the city, the company'sheadquarters and other locations. Mr Siddharth had interests in, including hospitality, coffeeplantation, and consultancy. The officials said the search operation was in tune with a caseof alleged undisclosed income. The Income Tax officials raided offices and properties of Mr Siddharth that include CCD group runs a luxury resort inChikkamagaluru and a coffee curingcuring centre in Hassan. Police security was provided to the IT officials involved in theraids.