• Notification Date: 12-01-2023
• Notification No: N/A

Two Former Income Tax Officers sent behind Bars for 3 Years for Receiving Bribes

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai has sentenced two former income tax officers to three years rigorous imprisonment for receiving bribes. CBI has termed the offence committed by the IT officials as grave and observing that dishonest intention and abuse of official position to grab money as gratification is alarming. 

According to the prosecution, the IT officers demanded bribes after threatening to conduct search operations at the offices and residences of complainants. On Tuesday, the accused officers, namely, Raj Kumar Bhatia and Suresh Khetan, were found guilty of offences committed under relevant provisions of Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) by special judge SP Naik Nimbalkar. A detailed order was made available on Wednesday. 

The court, in its order, held that the nature of the offence is grave and serious. The dishonest intention and abuse of official position to grab money as gratification is alarming. These immoral actions are required to be checked. As per the prosecution, the complainants are partners in a firm. 

The investigation report states that in December 2008, Bhatia, who used to be an assistant commissioner of income tax posted in Mumbai at that time, called one of the complainants to his office through his colleague Khetan. The accused asked him to produce tax papers of their firm and the latter complied. After that, Bhatia demanded Rs 2 lakh from the duo and threatened to conduct search operations at their offices and residences if they do not pay the money that has been claimed. 

Further, the CBI claimed one of the complainants paid the bribe money to Khetan. 

Bhatia made another demand of Rs 35 lakh by threatening to reopen the company’s income tax file and ruin the duo’s business. But this time, instead of giving the bribe, the partners lodged a complaint with the CBI’s Anti- Corruption Bureau in Mumbai. The probe agency laid a trap for the IT officers and caught the accused while accepting a reduced bribe amount of Rs 2 lakh. 

After the perusal of documents and evidence on record, the court held the prosecution was successful in proving beyond reasonable doubt that the accused persons had committed the crime.