Patna: The income tax department on Saturday conducted extensive raids across several business premises and residential properties linked to a prominent businessman in the border town of Raxaul in Bihar, in an operation that lasted more than 12 hours and prompted heightened security across the area.
Teams of officials arrived early in the morning in a convoy of more than a dozen vehicles bearing registration plates from Bihar and Jharkhand. The searches targeted multiple locations associated with Mohammad Kaleem, including a commercial establishment near Pankaj Chowk, a Tanishq jewellery showroom, a Hero motorcycle showroom in Lakshmipur, and his ancestral residence in Vishnupurwa village under Adapur block.
The properties were cordoned off, and documents were seized for scrutiny. Officials began questioning staff and associates while examining financial records and business transactions.
The operation extended beyond Kaleem’s own properties. Income tax officials also visited the homes of two of his relatives, Mohammad Javed in Lakshmipur Karbol Road and Mohammad Wasim in the Koiria Tola area near Pankaj Chowk. Both confirmed that they were related to Kaleem and were questioned in connection with the inquiry.
Security around the sites was tight. More than 50 police personnel and members of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were deployed to maintain order and prevent any disruption during the operation. Officials were seen examining documents inside the showrooms, Kaleem’s residence and the home of his accountant.
A senior police officer confirmed the raids but said the matter was being handled by the income tax department. “We have been instructed to provide security and ensure law and order,” he said, adding that patrols had been increased in the area on the orders of the district police chief.
As of the time of filing this report, the income tax department had not clarified whether any financial discrepancies, unaccounted income or tax violations had been detected. The silence from officials has only added to the atmosphere of uncertainty in the town, which lies close to the India–Nepal border and serves as an important commercial hub for the region.
