KOCHI: P T Thomas MLA came forward terming as ‘fake’ the news circulating that he ran away when income tax sleuths came for a raid during a black money transaction. I went to settle a dispute of my former driver’s land deal at his house near the Anchumana Temple.

‘I saw some people going to his house after I left from there. I came to know that they were income tax sleuths and a raid was conducted there after reaching the MLA office’, he said.

The income tax had yesterday confirmed that Rs 50 lakh to be handed over as part of a land sale, was confiscated. The money was seized from an important real estate agent of the city. The agent had made a deal with the house owner to sell three cents and a house in Edapally for Rs 80 lakh.

The income tax caught him when he reached Edapally with Rs 50 lakh. The department had informed that they will ask the agent to clarify in document the source of the money.