The Delhi Police Crime Branch, along with the Income Tax department, conducted raids at various places across the national Capital to unearth corrupt practices related to black money.
The move comes after Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, sent CDs of genuine broadcast of sting operations conducted by several TV channels following demonetisation of higher currency notes.
"The sting operations showed how unscrupulous persons are involved in exchange of demonetised notes of black money in different sectors i.e. gold jewellery, real estate among other sectors and promising conversion into legal money by charging some commission. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sent a CD to the Delhi Police on Wednesday for necessary action in the matter," said Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat.
He said, “Appropriate legal action will be taken in consultation with the IT department." The channels that conducted the sting operations were Aaj Tak, ABP, India News, News 24, News 18, News X and India Today.
"The places we raided on Thursday were Chandni Chowk, Pahar Ganj, Connaught place, Hauz Khas and Shakrpur," said the PRO.
A channel conducted sting operations on the managers of Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistani model Mawra Hocane and actor Fawad Khan.
Posing as a manager of a Delhi-based industrialist, the reporters of the channel approached managers of above mentioned Pakistani celebrities with a proposal to perform at a wedding function of an industrialist's daughter.
The team met Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan's manager named Manu Kohli who runs an artist management company in upscale Hauz Khas area in New Delhi. Kohli manages all the his performances in India.
The reporters told Kohli that they have come with a proposal for Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan to perform at a wedding hosted by a Delhi-based industrialist Agrawal.
Kohli informed the reporters that Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan would charge `25 lakh for the performance, excluding other expenses incurred on travel and boarding of his entourage that consists of eight people. He also informed that apart from this there will be additional service tax that needs to be paid.
Raids were conducted at the offices of all the suspects, said police.