Pillai case: IT team from Kerala lands in state

Our Correspondent
Kohima, August 2 (EMN): In an attempt to dig into MKR Pillai’s operations in the State, a team from the Income Tax department, Kerala, reportedly visited Nagaland last week to verify and authenticate the documents and papers involving Pillai.
Reliable sources told Eastern Mirror that a group of officials from the Income Tax department, Kochi, along with some of their counterparts from Dimapur visited Kohima on July 24 and met some senior officers of the Police department.
The DGP LL Doungel, who also confirmed about the visit of the Income Tax officials, said he could not meet them as he was out of station then.
Sources further revealed that the Income Tax officials visited the Petrol Pump, adjacent to the Police headquarters at New Reserve, Phesama.
While some claimed that the oil depot at New Reserve once belonged to MKR Pillai, however, top police officers, including the DGP, have denied the ownership. Later on, it was learned that the said oil depot belongs to one Zovi Kire.
A detailed enquiry by this reporter also received mixed response. While some of the lower rank police personnel bluntly claimed that it once belonged to MKR Pillai, some said they were ignorant about it stating that they haven’t heard anything as such.
The DGP also told this reporter that the oil depot at New Reserve was opened solely for servicing of police vehicles.
“I don’t think the Petrol Pump is his personal property,” DGP Doungel said maintaining that the visit of the Income Tax officials could be because he (Pillai) must have his involvement in the operation of the oil service station. The DGP also denied the visit was not a raid, but an official inspection.
This reporter also met the assistant manager of the fuel pump, and there, it confirmed the proprietor of the depot. The manager however was absent for the day.
The assistant manager Jaya Kumar Pillai claimed that MKR Pillai is well known to him, but denied that the latter has ownership on the oil depot.
He further informed that the team of Income Tax officials visited the station on July 24 at around 4.30 pm, but said they left after 30 minutes or so after verifying some papers and inspecting the rooms.
Talking to this reporter over the phone, the DIGP CID/Intelligence, PHQ, said that they haven’t received any orders to investigate on any matters regarding MKR Pillai, while this was also reiterated by IGP Intelligence.
The superintendent of police Kohima also said that his office was not informed about the visit of the Income Tax officials.