more-in Multiple squads of the Commercial Taxes Department conducted simultaneous raids in nine textile shops and their associated stitching units at Kaloor and Broadway following specific intelligence inputs regarding tax evasion. This was met with a protest by traders at Market Road who downed the shutters and hit the road raising slogans against the alleged harassment by the taxes department complaining that raids at a time when the business was yet to recover from the shock of demonetisation would further hamper the spirit. The officials, however, continued the raid with police protection. “We have gathered specific information on tax evasion by all nine units based on which the raids were conducted. The objective was to verify and quantify the extent of evasion,” said S. Sivakumar, Deputy Commissioner (Intelligence) of Commercial Taxes Department, Ernakulam. The evidence collected during the raids would be processed before estimating the extent of tax evasion. The protest by traders erupted over the raid at MN Fashions, a textile unit on Market Road. “Traders were cooperating with the officials and raids at all five shops in the areas except at this one went peacefully. The arrogance of one official among the squad created the scene as he went about his job with scant regard for the staff and customers at the shop,” said K.K. Abdul Kalam, district committee member of the Kerala Samsthana Vyapari Vyavasayi Samithi. He alleged that the raids were conducted keeping the traders in the dark and without serving any notice. Raids during business hours affected the already lukewarm business, he complained.

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