12 top I-T officers dismissed for graft

New Delhi: The government has dismissed from service 12 senior income tax officers, including one of the ranks of the joint commissioner, on charges of corruption and professional misconduct, sources said.

The list is topped by a Joint Commissioner rank officer against whom there are serious complaints of corruption and extortion from businessmen accused of helping self-styled godman Chandraswami. It also includes an IRS officer in the post of Commissioner (Appeal) in Noida, who was accused of sexual harassment to two lady IRS officers of Commissioner rank.

Another IRS officer who compulsory retired had acquired movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 3.17 crore in the name of self and his family members. These movable and immovable properties had allegedly been acquired by abusing his official position and by corrupt and illegal means.

A Commissioner Income Tax, who had a Disproportionate Assets case registered against him by the anti-corruption branch of the CBI, and was suspended from service in October 2009 pending criminal prosecution was also compulsorily retired by the government.

Another officer involved in cases of corruption and extortion and who had passed many wrongs and malafide assessment orders which were later on reversed by the appellate authorities too was dismissed from the service.

An officer amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of `1.55 crore, which is 133.71 per cent of his known sources of income and using hawala channels for transferring the ill-gotten money too was compulsorily retired from the service.

Another officer of Commissioner rank, accused of demanding `50 lakh bribe, and abusing his official position to acquire assets from his ill-gotten money amounting to `3.13 crore was also compulsorily retired.