In one of the most anticipated situation, the IT sleuths team from Karnataka and Goa raided the various places of the supporters of Taleigao heavyweight Babush Monseratte. Babush is said to be the major contender to BJP in Panaji and the said raid is suppose to be an outcome of the same, said the sources. The election in Goa is supposed to take place on Saturday and the IT department’s raid on the Babush has created various speculations in the media. Babush told the media that the someone trying to target him by harassing his supporters. Read the complete report here.
Babush Monseratte who had reigned in Taleigao for more than one and a half decade is always been on the target of his rivals and Mr. Monseratte knows this fact very well. According to the sources, the raids were anticipated but this time the IT department played a different game altogether, instead of targeting Babush directly they have raided places of the close aides of Babush.
Based on the news published in the Times of India, The I-T department of Goa along with the support of Karnataka had conducted searches at the premises of former St Cruz MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monseratte’s close aides and found property documents worth crores of rupees. The sources said that the IT sleuths consisting of more than 40 officers have conducted the rampant search operations at the three locations in Taleigao and Caranzalem The search operations which begun at around 8 am and continued till late night. More than 40 I-T officers from Goa and Karnataka were part of the searches.
According to the sources, the IT department has received a complaint that Monseratte has kept a huge cash with his close aides for allegedly distributing during the election time. Based on the information, I-T department conducted the searches but could not find any cash until late night. “What are they searching for my supporters place? Money, when there is demonetization affect?! They are just trying to target my supporters in view of elections,” Monserrate told TOI. 
Sources said that after completing the campaign in Panaji, Monseratte started campaigning in Taleigao. As there was panic in the opposition camp, the opposition filed a complaint before the I-T department. His workers said that the BJP is so upset with the support Monserrate is getting in Panaji that they managed to get the I-T to search residences of his supporters only to keep the former St Cruz MLA busy.
Babush Targeted the defense minister Manohar Parrikar following the raids on the places of his supporters saying, “This has clearly shown that the country’s defense minister Manohar Parrikar has panicked. If not, what was the need for I-T department to conduct the searches? He is using all means to retain the Panaji seat for Sidharth,” alleged an angry supporter of Monserrate.
Monseratte is contesting from Panaji on United Goan Party ticket, which has a seat-sharing agreement with Congress. Monseratte’s wife Jennifer is contesting on Congress ticket from Taleigao and his close aide and St Cruz panch Tony Fernandes from St Cruz on Congress ticket. For the past couple of days, I-T department has been carrying out searches at various places across the state and seized cash worth lakhs of rupees, said the sources.
