CBI Nabs I-T Deputy Commissioner and CA in Faceless Scheme Corruption Case

The CBI arrested a deputy commissioner of the income-tax department and a chartered accountant for allegedly undermining the faceless scheme aimed at enhancing transparency and reducing corruption. They reportedly contacted taxpayers with pending high-value assessments, offering favorable outcomes for bribes. The arrests followed extensive searches across multiple locations.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a deputy commissioner of the income-tax department and a chartered accountant on allegations of undermining the faceless scheme intended to improve transparency in tax assessments. Officials state that the accused offered favorable outcomes to taxpayers with pending high-value assessments in exchange for bribes.

The arrest of Deputy Commissioner Vijayendra, an IRS officer from the 2015-batch, occurred in Delhi, while chartered accountant Dinesh Kumar Agarwal was detained in Bharuch, Gujarat. The arrests followed a CBI probe that revealed the duo's illicit contacts with various assesses.

The finance ministry's faceless scheme aims to reduce human interactions and prevent corruption by keeping assessors' identities anonymous. However, the CBI found that these individuals were collecting and leaking insider information, making the scheme vulnerable to corruption. Jurisdictional courts are now handling the accused.

(With inputs from agencies.)