The Intelligence and Criminal Investigation (I&CI) Wing of the Income Tax Department has stepped up its probe into dubious property dealings, conducting surveys at three additional Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) in Nagpur and Wardha districts on Wednesday. The latest action covered Wardha-1, Wardha-2, and Arvi, adding to the ongoing investigation launched in July.
Preliminary findings point to large-scale suppression of high-value property transactions, with deals worth crores left unreported to the department. Officials said these transactions, which were required to be disclosed under the Statement of Financial Transactions (SFT) framework, were deliberately kept off the books.
According to a media report, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) ordered a review of all 21 Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs) in Nagpur and adjoining rural areas after glaring irregularities were unearthed during a survey at the Hingna SRO. Since then, similar operations have been carried out at multiple SROs, including Sadar, Mahal, and Mhalgi Nagar in Nagpur city, as well as in Amravati and Malkapur (Buldhana).
“The Hingna case exposed a modus operandi of deliberate suppression, which is now serving as a template for deeper scrutiny — not just in Nagpur, but nationwide in the coming months,” an official confirmed.
Under existing rules, property transactions above ₹30 lakh must be reported annually through Form 61A (Part D) by May 31. While Maharashtra’s iSarita portal records every registered property deal, officials found that SROs were manually filtering entries before uploading them to the IT Department’s SFT portal. As a result, numerous high-value deals were deliberately excluded from official reporting.
The discrepancy came to light when the I&CI Wing physically audited records, cross-checking raw iSarita data with SFT submissions. The exercise exposed intentional omissions rather than technical glitches.
Insiders also pointed to possible collusion, with third-party data entry operators coming under the scanner. The manipulation allegedly enabled buyers and sellers to evade tax scrutiny, bypassing the IT Department’s automated PAN-linked monitoring system.
With mounting evidence, officials said the probe’s scope has widened, warning that strict action could follow against erring registrars and their associates.
👉 Click here to read the latest Gujarat news on TheLiveAhmedabad.com