Bangalore : Just three days ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Income Tax department on Thursday raided the Bangalore residence of A Krishnappa, the JD(S) candidate from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district.

According to sources in the I-T department, the officials seized cash between Rs 2.2 crore and Rs 2.6 crore.

At about 11.30 am, sources said, a team reached the Devasandra residence of Krishnappa in K R Puram in Bangalore, here.

The raid, which continued till late on Thursday night, had the department do a thorough search of the house. Several documents were also seized.

With the I-T department not providing any information officially, there were also rumours about raids being conducted in two educational institutions, including Bharatiya Vidyaniketan High School in Bangalore, managed by Krishnappa.

Noting that the department was yet to examine the seized documents, sources said Krishnappa was not present in his house during the raid.

Based on the information provided by the I-T department, a team of the Election Commission’s expenditure monitoring wing, led by Amitabh Tripathi, raided Krishnappa’s office in Hiriyur, but nothing was seized from there.

Gowda flays

Former prime minister and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda, without naming anybody in particular, has alleged that two future chief ministers are behind the raid on Krishnappa.

Addressing a public rally in Bangalore, Gowda said: “Have you raided any land or mines looter or any Congress leader?”