Service tax officials, who went to conduct a search at a private coaching centre in Abids on Thursday, were in for a rude shock as police ' rounded them up' after receiving a complaint that they were fakes. The incident took place when the service tax sleuths went to ACE Engineering Academy in Abids, a coaching centre for IES, GATE and other engineering postgraduate entrances, to conduct a search on suspicion of tax evasion.

When the search party entered the ACE academy, the staff asked them to wait till the authorised person arrived. Meanwhile an Abids police team arrived there. " Police asked us who we are and, after checking our identity, left the place. Meanwhile, we realised that the records of the academy were at another building. A team of tax inspectors went there to carry out a search. But while they were conducting the search, at least 10 cops of the Abids police station arrived there and surrounded our team. Even though my team members showed their ID cards, police initially refused to believe it," service tax assistant commissioner R Kalyan said.

On learning about the issue, Kalyan contacted Abids police inspector. Only when he demanded to know why they were interfering even after the identity of his officials was confirmed by SI K Uday did the cops leave to let the tax sleuths carry out their job.

" We are going to write about the interference of police in the panchnama report. We have seized a huge volume of records from the ACE academy. If irregularities are noticed, a case will be registered," Kalyan said.

Abids inspector K Srinivas said, " We had received a call from the ACE academy saying that some people came claiming to be tax officials and requested us to verify their claims. Our team went there. After satisfying ourselves with their credentials, we left the place."