HYDERABAD: Employees working in commercial taxes department are under ACB’s scanner. After the CID registered cases and arrested key persons in connection with irregularities in the department at Bodhan in Nizamabad, ACB officials are understood to have kept a close watch on activities of employees.
According to sources, irregularities in the commercial taxes department took place in 14 circles and 90 divisions in the state, thereby causing loss of revenue.
CM recently instructed officials to transfer employees out of department’s offices in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts as many of them were found to be working in the same office for many years. Sources said the agency obtained dossier on corrupt employees and has been keeping a tab on them.
Following specific information, ACB registered a disproportionate assets case against Bathini Surender Goud, ACTO of Mahbubnagar, for amassing illegal assets worth `6 crore.
A few months ago, a senior officer of the department lodged a complaint. Later, the case was transferred to CID. During probe, CID officials found that tax consultants, with connivance of commercial taxes officials, created fake documents to help their client evade tax. Thus, the businessmen have not paid tax since 2001.
The special teams have arrested a number of persons including the kingpin Shivraj, a tax consultant, and some officials. But pressure was brought on investigators and the probe was halted temporarily. The accused allegedly offered bribe to a DSP-rank officer for derailing the investigation and for not arresting some suspects. Higher officials sensed foul-play and suspended the DSP-rank officer from service.