A man, who introduced himself as a trader from Mandsaur in western Madhya Pradesh, claimed here on Thursday that Rs 3.30 crores seized earlier from the house of the IAS couple, Arvind and Tinu Joshi by the income tax department actually belonged to him.
The person in question, Ramesh Joshi went on to claim at a press conference here that he had a close relationship with the Joshi couple and had kept Rs 3.30 crores at their place to jointly start a “hostel business”.
He said that he was dealing in cotton seed oil cake for the last six years and was suffering losses continuously. It was only during the year 2009-10, due to an upward swing in the market that he was able to earn a huge profit, he told journalists adding that after the income tax department’s search and seizure operation, he had learnt that the Joshi couple were claiming this as their own money.
On being contacted, director-general of income tax (investigations), Brajesh Gupta said that whatever this person might be claiming is of no consequence. The onus lies on the Joshi couple and it is for them to say whose money it is, he emphasised.