CHANDIGARH, 25 June — In a significant move, a team from the Income Tax Department conducted a surprise survey at the sub-tehsil office in Majri, New Chandigarh, on Tuesday, inspecting records for over nine hours. The operation, which began around noon, involved nearly 10 officials backed by police personnel and continued late into the night.
The team questioned both tehsildars and other office staff as part of the investigation, focusing on property-related financial records. Officials confirmed that the primary objective was to cross-verify the Statements of Financial Transactions (SFT) with digital data already available to the department.
“All transactions above ₹30 lakh are currently under scrutiny,” an administrative official told reporters. “We are matching offline registry records with online submissions to identify discrepancies and potential tax evasion.”
Majri, located in the New Chandigarh region, has long attracted attention due to its high concentration of land holdings owned by prominent politicians, senior bureaucrats, judicial officers, and business leaders. Over the past two decades, the area has become a hotspot for large-scale property dealings, many of which have drawn scrutiny for possible violations, including breaches of environmental regulations.
Sources suggest that the current survey may be part of a broader crackdown on unaccounted wealth and benami transactions in high-value real estate zones. Several of the properties under the Majri tehsil jurisdiction are believed to have changed hands recently in deals exceeding official circle rates, prompting suspicions of undervaluation and tax evasion.
The tehsil office is known to handle registrations and revenue records for vast tracts of agricultural and commercial land across the expanding New Chandigarh urban zone, a key area for real estate development.
“This region has seen a rapid rise in property prices and volume of sales over the last five years,” said a senior revenue department official, requesting anonymity. “The surge in transactions has often raised red flags regarding transparency and compliance.”
Tuesday’s survey is being viewed as a strong signal from the I-T Department, which has ramped up field operations across the region following several complaints and data inputs suggesting anomalies in land registration and transaction values.
By evening, investigators had seized a set of documents and registry files believed to contain details of transactions exceeding the ₹30 lakh threshold. While no formal statement was issued by the I-T Department at the time of filing this report, officials confirmed that the data would undergo further analysis, and follow-up action, including summons or notices, could be issued depending on the findings.
“This is a survey, not a raid,” clarified a source familiar with the operation. “The aim is to gather information, verify documents, and build a clear picture of transaction flows. However, if major inconsistencies are found, it could escalate.”
The presence of high-profile individuals in the ownership records of several surveyed properties adds weight to the department’s action. Although no names were officially disclosed, the scrutiny is expected to intensify in the coming weeks as the data is processed.
Locals and office staff described the survey as thorough and quiet. “There was no disruption, but officers were strict about sealing certain documents and accessing official computers,” said one employee at the sub-tehsil office.
The Majri case may become part of a larger inquiry targeting the convergence of political influence, bureaucratic control, and unchecked property speculation in the region.
As of Tuesday night, the I-T team had left the premises with multiple sealed envelopes and digital copies of transaction records. More actions may follow depending on what the preliminary audit reveals.
