Telangana: I-T returns of bureaucrats help ACB build case

Hyderabad: Income-tax returns filed by TS government officers are helping the Anti Corruption Bureau to strengthen its case against babus suspected of corruption.

I-T returns contain the details of income, expenditure, savings and properties owned by the employee. If discrepancies are noticed, the ACB uses it as crucial documentary evidence.

In the usual procedure, the ACB scrutinises allegations against a particular officer. Investi-gators probe the suspect’s reputation and if they find anything objectionable register a first information report (FIR).

It is after this that the ACB obtains I-T returns from the income-tax department and scrutinises them.

A source told this newspaper, “The expenditure is subtracted from the income to get an estimate of the savings. If the properties owned by the suspect exceed the quantum of saving, there is cause for suspicion.”

The income can be high, but the savings should not be less than their properties, he said.

Apart from the information gathered thro-ugh I-T returns, ACB sleuths also check with the stamps and registration departments for properties and benami owned by the suspect officer. The law also makes it mandatory for officials to disclose money deposited in personal accounts by their children either working or studying abroad.

According to the civil services (conduct rules) every government employee other than a member of the Andhra Pradesh last grade service and record assistants in the general subordinate service, must disclose the quantum of NRI income even if it is used for personal purposes like purchase of movable and immovable properties, repaying bank loans, or for lending. If the income is not disclosed, the source of income is questionable and the ACB is empowered to confiscate the money.