I-T official caught accepting Rs 14 lakh bribe in Bengaluru

A CBI source said that a builder had approached them and filed a complaint against the I-T official who was seeking the bribe in return of help in a raid case at his house.

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BENGALURU: Sleuths from the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) caught an Income Tax department official red-handed while he was accepting bribe of Rs 14 lakh from a builder on Wednesday evening.

A CBI source said that the builder had approached the ACB of the CBI and had filed a complaint against the I-T official. “He said his house was raided by a team of I-T officials in March, but had not found any incriminating documents except a cheque for Rs 40 lakh. They had also issued a notice to him to appear before them. The builder had approached an official seeking respite from the case. The official initially demanded several lakhs as bribe to help him in the case, but settled forRs 14 lakh,” a source said.

“Unwilling to pay the bribe, the builder filed a formal complaint with the ACB. A trap was laid at a coffee shop in Jayanagar, where the  accused official had asked the complainant to hand over the cash. Around 8 pm, he was trapped when he accepted Rs 14 lakh cash concealed in a rice bag from the builder. We are yet to question him,” the source added. Another I-T official from HSR Layout has been arrested in connection with the case.