Raids continue for second day on ‘Tandooriwala’ restaurant chain in Odisha over tax evasion

The Income Tax Department’s raids linked to alleged tax evasion by restaurateur Abhay Nayak continued for a second consecutive day on Monday, with officials carrying out searches at multiple locations across Odisha.

The raids, which began on Sunday, are being conducted in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack. Officials are investigating allegations that crores of rupees in taxes were evaded through financial irregularities associated with Nayak’s restaurant chain.

Searches Across Six Locations

According to reports, Income Tax teams conducted searches at six locations connected to Nayak’s business network. These include his residence in Raghunathpur in Bhubaneswar along with several restaurants operating in the three cities.

The establishments under the scanner include Mysore Express in Patia, Tandooriwala, Express Lounge in Chandrasekharpur, Sky Lounge, Express Lounge in Puri and Spice Village in Cuttack.

Search operations at these premises are still underway as officials continue to examine financial records and other documents.

Focus On PetPooja App Transactions

Investigators are also scrutinising transactions linked to the PetPooja restaurant management app. According to reports, the Income Tax Department had received intelligence suggesting that crores of rupees in taxes were allegedly evaded through transactions carried out using the application.

Following the input, officials reportedly kept the app and the restaurant chain under close monitoring before launching the raids.

Cash Seized, Documents Under Scrutiny

As per reports, around 15 Income Tax teams carried out the coordinated searches on Sunday, which continued into Monday.

Preliminary findings suggest that the restaurant chain allegedly projected its businesses as running at a loss while encouraging transactions to be conducted in cash. Investigators suspect that the actual income was not disclosed and that ledger records indicated losses despite ongoing operations.

During the searches, officials reportedly seized cash along with several important documents. Authorities have also reportedly found evidence indicating how the restaurant chain and the app were allegedly used to evade taxes over several years.

Also Read: IT Dept raids Utkal Builders in Bhubaneswar over large-scale tax evasion allegations

Further examination of the seized materials and financial records is currently underway as the investigation continues.