Income tax officer arrested on bribe charges

The CBI has arrested a deputy commissioner of the income tax department for allegedly receiving Rs 50,000 for helping a person settle tax issues related to capital gains, officials said on Wednesday.According to the officials, Daniel Raj, an Indian Revenue Service officer posted at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and a private auditor Kalyan Srinath had demanded Rs 2.50 lakh as bribe to settle tax issues arising out of sale of agricultural land by an assessee on whose premises search was conducted in 2017 and the matter was pending with the department.

The CBI has arrested a deputy commissioner of the income tax department for allegedly receiving Rs 50,000 for helping a person settle tax issues related to capital gains, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the officials, Daniel Raj, an Indian Revenue Service officer posted at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and a private auditor Kalyan Srinath had demanded Rs 2.50 lakh as bribe to settle tax issues arising out of sale of agricultural land by an assessee on whose premises search was conducted in 2017 and the matter was pending with the department. ''A case was registered on a complaint against deputy commissioner of income tax and an auditor (private person)... In February 2022, the deputy commissioner allegedly contacted the complainant and directed him to visit his office. Accordingly, the complainant and the auditor met the deputy commissioner of income tax and discussed the issue,'' CBI spokesperson R C Joshi said. ''The CBI laid a trap. The auditor (private person) accepted part payment of Rs 50,000 from the complainant on the directions of the public servant. Both the accused were caught. Searches were conducted at the office premises of the deputy commissioner at Coimbatore, which led to recovery of incriminating documents and about Rs 5.75 lakh cash,'' he said.

They were produced on Wednesday before the Special Judge for CBI cases, Coimbatore, and sent to judicial custody till April 6, Joshi added. PTI ABS SRY