Rajkot Income Tax Crackdown Targets Ceramic and Real Estate Giants

Rajkot | Gujarat — In a sweeping crackdown ahead of Diwali, the Rajkot Income Tax Department unleashed a large-scale search operation on Tuesday, raiding nearly 40 premises across Morbi and Rajkot tied to some of Gujarat’s most influential names in land, ceramics, and construction. More than 250 officers fanned out across factories, offices, and residences in what insiders are calling one of the biggest tax raids of the year.

The surprise searches targeted Paresh Patel, a prominent land businessman from Morbi; Rajubhai of the Face Group; and Jitubhai Rojwadia of Levis Ceramic Group—a leading name in the tile manufacturing sector. The operation began at dawn, catching many industrialists “off guard” as teams began seizing account books, servers, and digital data.

“This is not a routine inspection. The scale of manpower deployed indicates that the department has strong inputs of large-scale unaccounted transactions. The ceramic sector has been under the scanner for years,” said a senior tax officer requesting anonymity.

Accident on Ahmedabad Highway

In a dramatic twist, a team of officials rushing from Surat to join the raids met with an accident on the Ahmedabad–Morbi highway late Monday night. Four officers suffered minor injuries. They received immediate treatment and were later discharged. “Fortunately, there were no major casualties. The team is safe and has resumed duties,” confirmed a Rajkot-based official.

Levis Group Under Spotlight

The search at Levis Ceramic Group has particularly rattled Morbi’s ceramic industry, which is already under pressure due to fluctuating exports and rising input costs. The Levis premises, including factories, warehouses, and homes of directors, were thoroughly searched. “This raid has sent shockwaves across the industry. Everyone is anxious because once Levis is under probe, others could follow,” remarked a local ceramic trader.

Rajkot’s Metro and Millennium Groups Also Raided

The dragnet did not stop in Morbi. In Rajkot, the Metro Group and Millennium Group, both active in cotton trading and real estate, also came under scrutiny. Raids were carried out at more than five locations in Rajkot city. Two partners from the cotton sector and a director linked to Metro Construction were questioned.

Top officers from Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Rajkot have converged to monitor the operation. While no official statement has yet been released on the quantum of unaccounted wealth unearthed, insiders suggest that seizures of incriminating documents and cash have already begun.

“This is the first phase of the operation. By the evening, a clearer picture of the scale of undisclosed income will emerge,” a source close to the investigation told reporters.