I-T dept attaches labour minister Gummanur Jayaram's 'benami property'

Kurnool/Vijayawada: The Income Tax department has attached a 30.83 acre piece of land, belonging to labour Minister Gummanur Jayaram, in Kurnool district after establishing that it was a 'benami' property.

The I-T department invoked Section 24 (3) of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, and provisionally attached the property at Aspari village for 90 days. According to the I-T department order, the 30.83 acre was part of a bigger land parcel of approximately 180 acres that was allegedly purchased in the name of family members and associates of Jayaram on March 2, 2020.

"The income profile of P Renukamma (Jayaram's wife) is not commensurate with the sale consideration amount of Rs 52.42 lakh paid towards the purchase of the subject property," it said. The Department further said enquiries in the case, and from the evidence gathered, it has been found that Gummanur Jayaram purchased the property in the name of his wife and the entire sale consideration was paid in cash.

"However, the income profile of Jayaram shows that he does not have declared sources of income to make the payment and it is very much evident that the payments have been made from the unaccounted income of Jayaram," the assistant commissioner of Income Tax (Investigation) said. Quoting media reports, he also pointed out that Jayaram "accepted beneficial ownership" of the property and that he had purchased the land from I Manjunath.

"In view of this, it is evident that the sale transaction is a benami transaction under Section 2(9)(A) of the PBPT Act. Going by the facts, and to rule out any possibility of selling the property or transferring it to a third person, an order has been passed to provisionally attach the land for 90 days," the I-T official added.

The labour minister, however, denied it was a 'benami' property. "I purchased it in the names of my wife and my brother's wife. I have 80…90…100 acre agricultural land in my village that I cultivate and I used that income to purchase this land," the minister claimed. He told reporters in Kurnool that the land in question was lying barren for years as its owners were unable to cultivate it. "Hence, we purchased it," Jayaram claimed.

Meanwhile, Itina Plantation has claimed that the entire stretch of land belongs to them but the land is being registered illegally by Jayaram. Itina Plantation managing director Manu filed a case in the court at Bangalore urging to cancel the illegal registration. It is learnt that Renukamma and her relatives have also filed a case on Manu at Aspari police station. The Hans India tried to reach the police officials over phone but in vain.