GORAKHPUR, Dec. 17 -- The income tax (IT) department conducted searches at multiple locations linked to two businessmen in the Gorakhpur division on Tuesday. The operations targeted offices in Gorakhpur, a bottling plant in Deoria, a financial advisor's office at Baldeva Plaza in Gorakhpur, and a real estate company in Kushinagar. Three teams from Varanasi, Lucknow, and Moradabad examined financial records and documents. The operation, which began around 8 am and continued until evening, saw one team arrive at a director's residence in the Bargadwa area while another conducted searches at the Baldeva Plaza office and the Deoria bottling plant. Parallel searches were carried out at business premises in Deoria and Kushinagar districts. The teams reviewed account books, transaction records, and documents to check for potential tax violations. All locations connected to the business group were searched simultaneously. A separate IT team from Sitapur searched a distillery unit in Usra Bazar village, Deoria district. PAC personnel accompanied the team and sealed the premises. The distillery, which employs around 120 workers in two shifts, remained sealed throughout the day, with entry barred to all personnel. IT officials said the searches are part of a routine investigation. "Relevant documents and financial records are being examined. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the ongoing inquiry," they stated, adding that the operation is still underway and no final assessment has been made....