IT raids in Hyderabad: Major biryani restaurant chains raided over alleged tax evasion

Hyderabad: The Income Tax department on Tuesday morning carried out searches at famous biryani restaurant chains in the city over suspicion of tax evasion involving crores of rupees, tv9 telugu reported.

The raids took place at offices and residences related to Shah Ghouse, Pista House and Mehfil restaurant chain owners and directors. Searches are ongoing at 30 places across the city, reports said.

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Investigators are examining financial records, branch wise transactions and other documents as a part of the probe.

Mehfil expands footprint:

Mehfil, which opened in 2006, runs 15 branches across the city and has opened up outlets in United Arab Emirates. It has expanded its footprint and continued to open outlets through 2025.

Pista House’s global presence:

Pista House, owned by Abdul Mazeed in 1997, now has a global presence apart from Hyderabad. It includes outlets India, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and the USA. It is headquartered in Shali Banda area of Hyderabad. Officials noted that apart from regular physical sales, it has substantial footprint online on food aggregator platforms and has franchise-driven business. Especially during Eid, Haleem sales spike up to several crores.

Similarly, Shah Ghouse, which has a robust presence on food aggregator platforms and multiple restaurants in Gachibowli and Old City, was also searched on alleged tax evasion.