HYDERABAD: The Income Tax department officials, who are investigating the tax-refund scam, seem to have unwittingly opened a can of worms.
They were shocked to know from employees whom they had summoned for questioning that one of them, a software engineer by profession, got Rs 40 lakh as tax refund by submitting fabricated documents that he had made donations to political parties.
Political parties deny receiving any donations
When the income tax sleuths inquired with the political parties they came to know that they did not receive any donation from him.
They also found that several police officials who hail from both Telugu States had claimed tax refunds by showing expenses incurred for the medical treatment of their family members.
The sources stated that about 40 to 50 officials who claimed refunds had paid 30 per cent of it to the tax consultants who filed their Income Tax returns with fabricated documents.
The agency also summoned government teachers who had claimed refunds with fake documents that they had paid instalments for home loans they had raised or made payments towards rent.
The teachers who had their own residences also claimed tax refunds. Interestingly, the Income Tax department staff themselves got tax refunds taking the help of the consultants who filed returns with fabricated documents. The IT department issued notices to the employees in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad.