New Delhi, Nov 05: CBI has filed a chargesheet against income tax commissioner M L Dhussa and two others after the taxman was searched following allegations that he had received a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh for showing favour to a particular firm. Besides Dhussa, the CBI also named his brother-in-law Deepak Chug and one Paramjit Singh Makkar in the CBI court at Patiala under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, CBI said in a release.
CBI had registered a case on December 17 last year on the basis of a complaint from the proprietor of a firm situated at Moga (Punjab). As per the complaint, the proprietor of the firm had been had been harassed and penalised Rs 20 lakh despite filing income tax returns in respect of his firm.
Subsequently, he filed an appeal before the commissioner of income tax, Ludhiana. He produced relevant records supported by rulings of various authorities, but the commissioner did not listen to him and allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs five lakh to waive off the penalty of Rs 20 lakh.
The deal was finally fixed at Rs three lakh and he was allegedly asked to deliver the amount at Jalandhar to a person whose name and address was to be conveyed later.
The firm's proprietor was allegedly informed by the commissioner on telephone that he had to deliver Rs.2.5 lakh to his brother-in-law or to an acquaintance whose name was also given to him.
The telephone number of the persons to whom the money was to be handed over was also given by the commissioner. Thereafter, a trap in the presence of independent witnesses was laid by cbi and the two persons allegedly accepting bribe were arrested on the spot.
Simultaneously, a raid was conducted at the office premises of the income tax commissioner and all files pertaining to the concerned firm were found on the table of the commissioner.
At the time of the raid, the income tax commissioner was allegedly found signing undated appellate orders in favour of the firm of the complainant. Some unsigned appellate orders in favour of the firm were also recovered from the same table, the agency alleged.
The CBI team simultaneously raided the official premises of the income tax officer and allegedly seized Rs 1.17 lakh in cash from him. Search of the residence of his brother-in-law, an officer of Punjab National Bank at Jalandhar revealed fixed deposit receipts (FDR's) amounting to around Rs.30 lakh in the name of over 60 fictitious persons. 447.6 gm. Of gold was also recovered from the locker of his brother-in-law. All the three accused were arrested. Bureau Report