Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday registered a case against an Additional Commissioner with the Mumbai office of the Income Tax department for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his income. This is the second case against senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Vivek Batra, who was booked by the CBI for a similar offence in 2005.
According to CBI sources, Mr. Batra, who is Additional Commissioner (TDS), was found to possesses assets that were 473.72% more than his known sources of income. The investigative agency had begun its investigation into this in April.
“Between 2008 an 2017, Mr. Batra acquired large assets in his and family members’ names. Our evaluations of his assets indicate that he owns movable and immovable assets worth ₹6.79 crore, while his income during this period was ₹1.43 crore,” a CBI officer said. Investigations have also linked Mr. Batra to two private companies. “We have registered a case against Mr. Batra, his wife Priyanka Batra, Chartered Accountant Shirish Shah and directors of the two companies he has links to, identified as Neeraj Kumar and Dilip Jiwarjika, under the Prevention of Corruption Act.”
The CBI is now conducting searches of properties owned by or linked to Mr. Batra across 10 locations in New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Thane, Silvassa and Karnal.
Mr. Batra was booked by the CBI in a disproportionate assets case in October 2005, after a probe found his assets were worth ₹1.27 crore more than his income. As per the Prevention of Corruption Act, the CBI obtained a prosecution sanction from the State Finance Department before filing a charge sheet against the senior bureaucrat. However, Mr. Batra had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the sanction, which was dismissed. He subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which upheld the HC’s order in 2013. Following this , the CBI filed the charge sheet.
The CBI’s FIR in 2005, which also names Ms. Batra as an accused, alleged Mr. Batra’s assets included investments of ₹56 lakh through two private companies, ARJ Impex Pvt. Ltd. and Malik Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. Through these firms, he acquired assets worth over ₹82 lakh. He is also alleged to have used the companies to launder his illegal income. There were complaints of misconduct against him in 2003, officials said. The CBI had arrested him in 2010. He was later released on bail.