BENGALURU: Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who had caught an Income Tax officer red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 14 lakh from a builder on Wednesday, have unearthed cash over Rs 1.65 crore and $1,450 during a search carried out at his residence.
HR Nagesh, working in the I-T Department’s Ward 7(1)(4) office in Koramangala, was trapped by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI at a coffee shop in Jayanagar while he accepted the bribe on Wednesday evening. He was immediately arrested while his colleague Narender Singh, working in Ward 7(1)(3) office, was picked up for questioning later.
Singh was also formally arrested on Thursday in connection with the case. As part of the probe, the CBI officials carried out searches both at the residential and official premises of the arrested persons. “An amount Rs 1,35,50,650 in cash has been seized from the residence of Nagesh. Further, several incriminating documents relating to the case, property documents, documents relating to investments, mobile phones, pen drives, etc., have been seized,” CBI said in a statement. With the searches continuing on Thursday, Rs 30 lakh and $1,450 was also seized from his locker, the release added.
Both the IT officials have been booked for criminal conspiracy and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case is related to a complaint from the Managing Director of a private company accusing Nagesh and Narender Singh of demanding illegal gratification of Rs 14 lakh from him for showing official favour in settling the issue pertaining to I-T survey conducted at the office premises of the complainant on March 6.