Income Tax Searches Clarification: Martin Group Denies Wrongful Reporting, Affirms Compliance and Contribution

In the aftermath of recent events, we, the Marlin Group of Companies, hereby would like to make the following clarifications considering the dire necessity to clear the clouds of misconceptions regarding the Income Tax Searches conducted at our various premises across India from 12th October 2023 (7 a.m.) to 15th October 2023 (10 a.m.).

1) Firstly, it is to be noted that it was the Department of Income Tax (Kolkata, West Bengal) which conducted searches at our various organization's office premises across India and not the Enforcement Directorate. This is the process done by the Department of Income Tax, unlike wrongly portrayed, for which our organization's officials have rightly extended their cooperation to the fullest. However, it has come to our knowledge that various news media have wrongly reported that "the Enforcement Directorate is carrying out searches under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act," and various extraneous, unlawful, defamatory facts were widely being circulated in the print and digital media. The details mentioned in such news are said to be divulged by the officials of the Enforcement Directorate, as claimed by the Media, which is completely against the true spirit of the facts that had actually taken place.

2) Secondly, our companies sell/market State government lotteries in India, which is strictly organized and conducted by virtue of the powers conferred in the Seventh Schedule Entry 40 of the Union List under the Constitution of India and the Government of India has enacted the Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998 and the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010. The Government of a State is empowered to organize and conduct Lotteries in India by virtue of the aforesaid statutes in concurrence with the State lottery Rules of the respective organizing Government. Our companies were duly appointed by the Lottery Organizing State Governments through Gazetted Notifications to sell/market their lotteries in the States as permitted and notified in accordance with the laws in force.

3) Thirdly, it is pertinent to mention that Shri. S. Martin was the Highest Individual Tax Payer in India during the Year 2002-2003 and had paid approximately Rs. 100 Crores as his individual Income Tax. Furthermore, he and his Group of Companies collectively have paid taxes as follows:
a) Rs. 23,119 Crores as GST from July 2017 to Sep 2023, paying about Rs. 5,000 Crores per annum as GST to the respective Departments under State/Central Governments.
b) Rs. 4,577 Crores as Income Tax from the Financial Year 1985-1986 to Financial Year 2022-2023 and have paid about Rs. 600 Crores as Income Tax for the preceding Financial Year to the Government of India, the details of which were appropriately made available to the Officials during the process.

4) Needless to say, Shri. S. Martin and his organizations are strictly compliant with the Rules and Regulations of the Laws of India and are providing livelihood to lakhs of families in India. However, the exaggeration of facts regarding the searches has resulted in harassment by way of misrepresentation and character assassination of Shri. S. Martin and his family members and organizations. The reporting of facts beyond imagination has caused embarrassment and defames us in the minds of the people. We, therefore, request all the General Public to abstain from believing such mis-portrayal and false statements of any sort. We shall continue to work for the progress of the Nation as sincere citizens.