The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai, and five others, including MD of a Group of Companies based at Mumbai; accounts officer of the private company; a chartered accountant; a real estate trade agent and his relative (private person) in an alleged bribery case.
The arrested IT officer is BB Rajendra Prasad, an IRS officer of 1992 batch who is currently IT Commissioner (Appeals - 30) in Mumbai. The others nabbed include: Pradip Mittal, an executive of Essar Group of Companies.
It was alleged that Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals -30), Mumbai, recently passed an order in an appeal matter favouring a private Trust whose trustee is a private company based at Mumbai. For giving this favourable order, he allegedly demanded a bribe ₹2 crore and wanted the money delivered to the relative of a real estate trade agent in Mumbai, who after collecting the money, transferred it to the real estate trade agent in Visakhapatnam.
The Commissioner of Income Tax had visited Visakhapatnam on leave and allegedly demanded that the agent deliver a part of the money at his residence in Visakhapatnam.
The CBI set a trap and caught the Commissioner, who had received part of the bribe amount of ₹19.34 lakh from the agent. Both the Commissioner and the agent were arrested. During investigation, the remaining amount was also recovered from the agent.
Searches were conducted in Mumbai and Visakhapatnam including offices and residence of the accused, which led to recovery of several property documents, details of bank accounts, three lockers and several incriminating documents.
“The accused are being produced today in the Designated Court. Further investigation is continuing,” said a statement from the CBI.
‘Routine survey’
A spokesperson for Balaji Trust, in which Essar Group is a trustee, said, "There was a routine survey of records, conducted by the CBI at the offices of two of our executives in connection with some IT assessment orders. Balaji Trust is a responsible corporate citizen and conducts its business in an open and transparent manner. Our executives are cooperating with the investigation fully and will continue to do so.
“In the present case, legal submissions were made to the relevant authorities on merits through a reputed accounting firm based on which the orders were passed in a routine manner. We categorically deny all allegations regarding any misconduct by our executives."