Srinagar, Jun 12 (KNS): Deputy Mayor Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Sheikh Muhammad Imran on Wednesday reacted to the statement made by Commissioner of Income Tax (Media & Technical Policy), saying the statement was factually and legally incorrect.

Official Spokesperson CBDT in regards to raid at my residence and business establishment in J&K, Delhi & Bangalore is not factually correct and seems to have been designed to defame me, damage my reputation with a conspiracy, Imran said as per a statement issued to KNS.

“In this connection, I would like to humbly clarify that the aforesaid press release is both factually & legally Incorrect. I would not dare to use the words distorted, & concocted but I am compelled to because the facts would remain facts,” he added.

Here is the text of Sheikh Imran’s reaction

Though people have faith in system and some in IT department too but it’s unfortunate that an authority involved is either mislead or intentionally against me, my politics and is hell bent to damage me and my reputation.

Though I do not have the strength to face the torture & trauma which my family, relatives & neighbours faced but being a true Muslim and a rebel by nature I will fight against every false propaganda &incorrect facts which would defame me as justice should be done because the press release is faulty and I am sure it was with a system lapse.

The said press release and search operation appears to have been made in keeping in entire focus on tarnishing of my public image as I have been the spokes person of the aspirations of my people and been bold and blunt to advocate for their cause with different campaign and even as I did recently joined valley based political party while being deputy mayor for my people of my people & by my people rather for any tax evasion purposes or any other reason.

I am a firm believer of Allah and his justice and I have no hesitation to say that this press release is first of its kind from your department and on your website which is only to damage me and my public image for a reason known to you and may be an answer to my #iAmMujahid campaign or certain political activities where I have been sincere to be a vocal advocate of my people

I am glad that my people understand all this and the reasons behind it and Please please understand that Kashmiris like me are not against Police forces, NIA, EDI, IT, Raids Etc but not on the manner it is done or in the way media is briefed about it.

I am neither a terrorist nor endorse it but nothing can stop me to plead justice and change the system until last drop of our blood.

I would like to welcome you again and In fact accompany you to a raid where ever next but in a very polite manner as All this could be done in a braoad day light in a sober & decent manner without army, police batallions, Guns, snipers armed forces, double SHOs, neighbourhood deployments etc for god’s sake you are raiding Some wanted terrorist but a simple confused & struggling Kashmiri who has to earn all his living in 100 working days and feed his family, pay his Loans and live a decent life.

Make a difference please start today let’s involve masjid committee &mohalla committee in your awareness drives which would always be with you if you can strategise well for making people pay their taxes and recovering them as per their income.

Please note as not all are terrorists or criminals and trust me Kashmiris are not a Gurellas race but a hospitable race who welcome even enemies whole heartedly because that in our blood. We love everyone but unfortunate we are mistreated and hated even in our own country and even by our own agencies.

Just a suggestion to your department that you being a premier agency I would have welcomed you to every premises of mine personally and submitted anything to everything as desired by you but the way you did it I fail to understand why how and what was the need even if I have got a simple notice form you I have been replying and submitting all my record. I would have given you access to you with a warm welcome but this raid was an insult and your press release was adding salt to my wounds.

I have been trying to Convince my relatives & entire neighbourhood that it was an IT raid but can’t shut all mouths as many think it was a terror raid, NIA, ED or any other agency because the amount of army, police, forces etc which were present in &around premises compelled me to think that Neither do I have a gun nor am I terrorist then why & why this torture why not come to us in a polite manner.

You must appreciate my humble living that I do not have much cash & jewellery where I got a clean chit but you did not make a mention in your press release because I think someone was having bad intentions which needs to be verified.

And in any case it’s now important to reply point to point, point wise reply to you for your press release as given below to clear the confusion and bring facts into your picture and update you factually with proofs as I stand defamed due to the reasons known to you and your team.

1. Total NPA loan balances to our group concerns were Rs 136.00 Crores, and not Rs 170.00 crores which included Rs 40.00 crores approximately as interest funding, rehabilitation loans and interest funding sanctioned during Sep 2014 floods as the principle loan sanctioned for entire group was Rs 94 crore approximately wherein we have also made repayments which should have been mentioned.

It seems that your press release has nothing correct it’s factually & legally incorrect as total Loan sanctioned, OTS amount, total repayment everything is incorrect kindly correct your figures as it was not expected from a department having senior officers to have lapses.

Furthermore most of the projects were tourist related projects & due to floods &turmoil in the valley, despite my best efforts could not sustain financially and as we incurred huge losses my accounts turned NPA therefore I was left with only two option either to restructure my loan like other entrepreneurs did who enjoy interest subvention from govt or go for one time settlement which is as per the crystal clear guidelines of RBI. I chose and opted for OTS - one time settlement, which got sanctioned at Rs 78.00 Crores wherein I was asked to deposit first installment of 50 crores and same was done by selling my CA store to the identifier buyer of the bank for Rs 37.00 crores approximately and a subsidy of 12.50 crores. And total deposit made was 50.34 crores.

Further we made more payments towards our settlement amount with the bank but there was a delay from the bank not from our side of which I have already corresponded with them and finally as on date we have deposited more than Rs 67.00 Crores in totality of our of the settlement amount of 78 crores.

Please correct your figures as there has been never any outstanding of Rs 170.crores at any point of the at the time of our settlement therefore kindly correct the figures of total outstanding mentioned in your press release and payment made by me against the settlement amount of Rs 78.00 crores is Rs 67.00 crores and not Rs 50.34 Crores which is factually incorrect and not based on any relevant facts.

2. Regarding sale of undisclosed property for 22 Crores. In this connection it is further submitted that you should have not damaged my image but reconciled with facts as I had made advances of 10 Crores to Kuldeep Sanna & L. N Jaggi for purchase of property at Munawarabad Srinagar but could not make further payment due to my financial constraints and also the seller could not resolve the dispute of the said property, therefore I further opted to resell it. The said advances or investment of Rs 10 crores stands made from declared sources and In order to pay back bank liability, I along with Kulddep Sarna & others sold the said property to new buyer for 18.25 Crores , out of which Kuldeep Sarna took Rs 7.07 Crores which were deposited into their loan account and balances stands deposited in the bank in our loan accounts and the deal stands finalised in April 2019 in presence of bank officials.

Therefore another correction to be noted in your press release that the sale of undisclosed property for 22 Crores is also incorrect factually and not on the bases of any facts. This property was not mortgaged to the bank by us but our intention to pay back the banks are clear as we have sold something which could have been saved but it’s only because we want to settle the bank liability mess which seems to have been disturbed by your press release, as we can’t gamble with public money.

3. Furthermore Transport unit was sold for Rs 9.10 Crores to the identified buyer of the bank and we were asked to give the lm the possession & the said person was arranging finances whixh was to be deposited to the Bank where in our liability would be settled.

4. It’s Important & pertinent to mention here that we sold our Cold Store for Rs 37.00 Crores as per prevailing market rate & in presence of the bank officials and the said person is neither my associate nor connected to me in any way and the same deal was done through proper documentation and in the court & bank which should be verified as I stand defamed Because or the incorrect version in your press release which should be corrected.

Regarding the profit of 15 to 20 Crores in the said deal, the said estimation is baseless &factually incorrect. There is standard prepared by National Horticulture Board by which a Cost of Rs 70000.00 (minimum) incurred in Per Metric on Cold store on Technical Civil Works, Plant & Machinery & Mic. Fixed Assets, therefore approved cost for these items as per NHB guidelines is 35 Crores for 5000 MTs Store. In addition to above, the cost of Land of 40 Kanals , site development, Pre-operative Cost , administrative civil works and Interest during construction period form part of Project costs which increases the cost of every CA store.

Moreover your press release expressed more about the buyer and lies than anything factually correct.

Kindly verify as neither any bill is bogus or is inflated and same was checked and verified in several joint inspections done by banks, National horticulture board, horticulture department, SIDCO, govt of J&K officials.

Further the said person who bought the CA store arranged his loan at his own level, as he is also one of the reputed business house of valley with large show room at main Lal Chowk. Srinagar wherein we have been dragged & defamed for reasons known to you which should be clarified.

Further more there are around 20 Cold stores in valley, and 50 in Himachal Pradesh who have taken the same amount of subsidy for Cold stores with 5000.00 MTs capacity and I have not been granted any extra benefit but given subsidy after 3 years instead which was suppose to come in first year and that too having most modern and better store than all of them.

Further more the aforesaid guidelines of NHB are applicable throughout country. My Store had 40 Kanals of land compared to other CA store wherein land is 25 Kanals and has better facilities like automised &most modern packing & grading line which can be verified and compared to other stores as it’s all importance and manufactured from the top list italian company.

There are other additional feature like all imported screw compressors, chillers and all imported machine room machines with one of its kind and state of art.

Furthermore it’s the only CA store in entire country to have Sinclair packaging machine which is fully imported and automised and has an extra cost burden.

5. The property at Pahalgam stands purchased for 50 lacs out of declared sources and property at Sonamarg at 1.50 Crores, out again from declared sources and property at Bangalore for 1.00 crore out of declared sources wherein the figures are revealed wrong and even their source for the reasons known to you.

6. The Shop at Delhi was purchased out of declared sources and stands later on sold immediately to liquidate the bank liability and amount was deposited in the account after inciting huge loss.

I would always cooperate with the income tax department but unfortunately IT dept has illegally dragged my neighbours and relatives illegally into the raid, and I am eagerly waiting how can this be justified legally &ethically too for which legal action will be taken because this has not only defamed me entire society and family stigma is destroyed.

I pray that things are corrected and sorted in future with all the Hopes that justice will be done immediately with me but if this is at the cost of my politics or political career where I am passionate to serve my people then so be it I will leave everything to Allah, and ready to face any to every consequences to serve people passionately.

With an anticipation of Justice and correction of facts at the earliest.

Thanking in anticipation.

Mujahid Sheikh Mohammed Imran Deputy Mayor, Srinagar. (KNS)