New Delhi/Mumbai/Chennai/Kolkata , April 21: The income-tax department on Wednesday carried out surveys at the offices of IPL franchisees and broadcasters of the tournament.
Income-tax officials also questioned IPL commissioner Lalit Modi for the second time to learn how the broadcasting rights for IPL were given. Also, acting on the complaint of the Registrar of Companies (RoC), a local court in Chandigarh issued notices to the Kings XI Punjab co-owners, including Bollywood actress Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia and Mohit Burman, for not filing balance sheets and annual returns.

I-T officials carried out surveys at the offices of  the Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers and Kings XI. The surveys were carried in eight cities, including Kolkata, Chennai, Gurgaon and Mumbai. The other franchisees are expected to be surveyed in the next few days.
Some 400 I-T, Enforcement Directorate and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials were involved in Wednesday’s surveys. About 200 of these officials are said to be information technology experts.
Officials visited the offices of Multi Screen Media, World Sports Group and Pat Magnarella Management in Mumbai to get to the bottom of a Rs 80-million “facilitation fee”. The three firms handle the IPL’s event and broadcast rights for the event.
In Kolkata, Indian Revenue Service officials surveyed the Cricket Association of Bengal premises and a couple of Kolkata Knight Riders offices as well.
In Chennai, I-T sleuths conducted surveys on the premises of India Cements on Santhome High Road. India cements own the IPL team Chennai Super Kings. According to sources in the I-T department, 15 officials under two IRS (I-T) officials from the I-T department have been  conducting surveys. I-T officials also went to carry out a survey of the Kings XI office in Gurgaon, sources said.

Age Correspondents