Companies changing addresses a part of cover up by Gadkari-promoted Purti?

Mumbai: After the Income Tax department began inquiry into the alleged shell companies investing in BJP President Nitin Gadkari firm, CNN-IBN has found that a number of companies have changed their addresses overnight. The question arises - is this part of a cover up?

CNN-IBN has found that 12 suspected shell companies have got new registered addresses. The change in addresses comes after income tax and Corporate Affairs Ministry began inquiry into the shell companies. CNN-IBN alongwith other news media had earlier exposed how many of the investors in Purti firms were using fake addresses.

Among the 18 seemingly shell companies that invested in Gadkar's Purti, Thane-based Earnwell Traders and Swiftsol India Pvt Ltd, which had a registered address till a week ago, turned out to be fictitious. Ravi Sharma, MD, Earnwell Trades Pvt Ltd and Swiftsol India Pvt Ltd, says, "I'm operating here from the past 4-5 months. This is the address from where I've started and I'm working from this location. Directly we can't disclose anything to you."

Ravi Sharma claims he is the Managing Director and the companies simply erred in not informing the registrar of companies of the change in address much earlier. But remarkably 11 other investor companies of Purti seemed to have had a sudden change of address since the corporate affairs ministry began its discreet enquiry.

Here are some examples:

1,Ashwami Sales And Marketing

Old Address: Dube Chawal

New Address: 610, Damji, Shamji Trade Centre, Vidyavihar

2.Rigma Fintrade

Old Address: Dube Chawl

New Address: New Address: 610, Damji, Shamji Trade Centre, Vidyavihar

3.Nivita Traders

Old Address: Dube Chawl

New Address: New Address: 610, Damji, Shamji Trade Centre, Vidyavihar

4.Seven Elevan Sales And Marketing

Old Address: Dube Chawl

New Address: New Address: 610, Damji, Shamji Trade Centre, Vidyavihar

The companies that had their registered addresses in Dube Chawl are now located in central Mumbai's BVidyavohar. CNN-IBN has been told that they have been functioning here for at least the last 4 months. But they were unwilling to divulge just what business the companies were involved in.

It's clearly a desperate effort to portray the shell companies as functioning entities, but will the Corporate Affairs Ministry and the Income Tax Department that has begun its probe be convinced.