Income tax officers from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Patna raided the residence, factories and offices of a steel city businessman on Thursday.

The crackdown began around 8am at the Bistupur home and office of Naveen Poddar, and stretched to 17 locations including two factories and other business establishments in Chandil and Adityapur in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district and Dalbhumgarh in Ghatshila subdivision of East Singhbhum.

The combined team of 25 income tax sleuths from four circles simultaneously raided Poddar and his business partners.

A senior officer of Jamshedpur circle said the teams from Ranchi, Dhanbad and Patna had reached the city on Wednesday night. "The raids are being conducted to unearth disproportionate assets of Poddar. They will continue tomorrow," said deputy director of income tax Vijay Kumar.

Poddar and his younger brother, Sachin, own a mini steel plant in Dalbhumgarh, a shopping mall in Adityapur and a sponge iron unit in Chandil.

A member of Thursday's raid team said they were expecting most of the incriminating documents and data to be unearthed from the businessman's Talwar Building office in Bistupur.

President of SCCI Suresh Sonthalia and other traders tried to express their solidarity with Poddar, but the group was not allowed to enter the businessman's house in Bistupur. "Poddar and one of his business partners, Vijay Mittal, are members of SCCI. We, therefore, went over to Poddar's residence in case he required any assistance," he said.