Guptas’ properties raided in India as their citizenship of SA denied by minister

Multiple news sources are reporting that the Gupta family’s property was raided on Tuesday in Saharanpur, and possibly elsewhere, in India.

The premises of the raid reportedly feature a building site for a lavish Hindu temple as well as the family’s ancestral home.

They have been subjected to scrutiny by the local press for their business dealings, particularly allegations of money laundering involving India’s Bank of Baroda, which is leaving South Africa in the wake of the Gupta scandal.

Reports suggest the raid was carried out by Indian tax authorities. Documents and computers were reportedly seized.

Meanwhile, in a home affairs briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba maintained that the Guptas had never been granted South African citizenship based on naturalisation.

He denied that anything about their application for naturalisation had been untoward. Gigaba clarified that Ajay Gupta had not wished to renounce his Indian citizenship and his brother Atul had not applied for South African citizenship.