New Delhi/Bhopal: The Income Tax Department launched pre-dawn searches on Sunday at 50 locations in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh against people linked to state chief minister Kamal Nath on charges of alleged tax evasion, officials said.A team of about 200 I-T department and police officers swooped down on these premises around 3 am and some undisclosed cash was recovered, they said.The searches are linked to suspected movement of hawala money during the ongoing polls season and tax evasion, they said.Locations in Indore, Bhopal and Delhi (Green Park) are being raided and those being searched include Nath’s former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Pravin Kakkar, former advisor Rajendra Miglani and executives linked to his brother-in-law’s firm, Moser Bayer and his nephew, Ratul Puri’s company.Both Kakkar and Miglani had resigned from their posts just before the Lok Sabha polls were declared.In Indore, the raids were conducted by a team of officials, who arrived from Delhi, at Kakkad’s residence in Vijay Nagar area and other places associated with him, sources in the I-T department said.Also Read: After Choosing Kamal Nath As CM, Congress Cannot Claim Moral High GroundSearches were also conducted at Kakkad’s house in Bhopal’s Nadir Colony and a couple of other places in the state capital.They said documents seized during the search were being scrutinised in detail.Kakkad, a former Madhya Pradesh police officer, was appointed OSD to Nath after the Congress-led government came to power in the state last year.He had earlier served as OSD to former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria during the UPA regime.Kakkad’s family is associated with a number of businesses, including hospitality. Bhuria is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Ratlam-Jhabua seat in MP.Raids are also being conducted against Kolkata-based businessman Paras Mal Lodha, they said.A team of about 200 I-T department and police officers swooped on these premises at around 3 am and some undisclosed cash has been recovered till now, they said.The searches are linked to suspected movement of hawala money during the ongoing polls season and tax evasion, they said.Ratul Puri was grilled, last week, by the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi in connection with the Rs 3,6000 AgustaWestland helicopters purchase probe.Reacting to the raids, a Congress leader in MP accused the BJP-led central government of targeting opposition leaders for “political vendetta”.MP Congress’ media cell’s vice president Bhupendra Gupta, also a former OSD to Nath, said, “The BJP government has been targeting opposition leaders across the country due to political enmity. Due to such act of political vendetta, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (N Chandrababu Naidu) and DMK leader M K Stalin had to stage protest against the Centre.”However, the BJP hit back, saying thieves were now complaining against the ‘watchman’.“Black money worth crores was recovered during the Income Tax department’s raid at the house of private secretary of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. This has made one thing clear that those who are thieves have a complaint against the watchman,” BJP’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.