Hyderabad: CBI arrests Income Tax Commissioner, 4 others in Rs 70 lakh bribery case

The CBI had received inputs about Lavidiya, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, allegedly indulging in corrupt practices and seeking bribes following which an FIR was registered against him recently

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested five persons including a Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemption), Hyderabad, and four others for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs.70 lakh meant for the said Commissioner to decide an appeal in favour of a private party.

According to a CBI press release, a case was registered by CBI on Friday against Commissioner of Income Tax, (Exemptions), Hyderabad, Jeevan Lal Lavidiya, who is also holding the Additional Charge of Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals Unit-8) and (Appeals Unit-7), Office of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, and 14 other persons and entities on allegations that Commissioner of Income Tax Hyderabad in connivance with middlemen was indulging in corrupt and illegal activities of obtaining undue gratification for extending illegal favours in deciding appeals in favour of the private parties whose appeals were pending with him for decision.

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The CBI laid a trap and caught an accused middleman while accepting a bribe of Rs. 70 lakh from a private party, at Mumbai on behalf of the accused Commissioner.

Consequently, the accused Commissioner of Income Tax and his associates were also arrested from Hyderabad.

Searches are being conducted by CBI at 18 locations in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Khammam, Visakhapatnam and New Delhi which has led to recovery of various incriminating documents/articles including cash of Rs. 69 lakh besides the bribe amount of Rs. 70 lakh. The searches are still underway, the press release added.

The accused arrested at Mumbai are being produced before the Court of Special Judge, CBI Cases, Mumbai while the persons arrested at Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are being produced before the competent Court at Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Investigation is continuing.