Ritu Kumar

Surprise raids by the Income Tax (I-T) department at the stores of top Indian designers has left the fashion circles spinning all the way from Delhi to Mumbai. In New Delhi, I-T officials raided the stores of Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra, as well the multi-designer boutique Ensemble. Here in Mumbai, sources said the taxmen are also auditing the books of Ensemble's flagship store at Colaba.

The I-T raids began on Tuesday morning, and took place at designer boutiques across New Delhi. While an I-T department spokesperson confirmed that searches were being conducted in Mumbai, they refused to identify the stores. mid-day, however, has learned from a reliable source that the I-T officials are auditing the books of Ensemble's flagship store at Lion Gate.