The jewellers market in Ghaziabad remained close on Monday in protest against the ‘atrocities’ committed by the Income Tax Department teams during survey being carried on firms which declared assets under Volunteer Disclosure Scheme (VDS) before December 31 last year launched by the Union Government.
The jewellers association took out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate Nidhi Kesarwani and staged a dharna outside Nidhi Jewellers in Navyug Market opposite Punjab National Bank. They demanded the withdrawal of the police complaints with immediate effect which an Income Tax official filed wrongly, claimed jewellers association.
“Over a thousand shops across the city including Vaishali,Vasundhara, Indirapuram and old city announced the closure of shops” claimed Gaurav Garg the General Secretary of the association.
The memorandum stated that the Income Tax official Praduman Singh during survey on two firms-Radhey lal & Sons in RDC, and Swarn Mahal Jewellers on Ambedkar road defiled the sanctity of the chamber of the shops. The official Praduman Singh, who led the team, grabbed the owner’s chair and barged in to the chamber with shoes where shoes are not permitted. He snatched the mobile phones of owners and staff members. He asked all staff members including women employees to get out of shops, read the memorandum.
“When the owner pleaded that he had voluntarily disclosed the assets under the Government announced scheme and was inclined to provide all the papers but the officials were rude, snatched mobile phones and treated the reputed owner of showroom as a culprit” said Garg.
During their survey, the traders association protested the conduct of the team and shouted slogans against them. Meanwhile, the income tax official Praduman Singh lodged two FIRs in two police stations against both firms.