Kochi: Income Tax officer held for bribe

 

Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an inspector with the income tax department caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from a doctor. Anti-corruption unit of the CBI held Dinesh K. K. (42), an inspector with the IT investigation wing, Ernakulam, and a native of Pampakuda around 10.30 pm on Friday. The CBI sleuths said a case was registered based on a complaint filed by Dr Sabine S., a consultant in infertility and laparoscopic surgery and the owner of the Sabine Hospital at Pezhakkapilly near Muvattupuzha.

“He complained that the IT officer conducted an inspection at the Sabine Hospital on December 9 and demanded Rs 10 lakh for not proceeding with tax evasion charges that he claimed to have detected,” one of the sources said. However, Dr Sabine declined to make the payment despite his warning. He reduced the amount then to Rs 5 lakh, but Dr Sabine lodged a complaint with the CBI, which laid a trap. The chemically treated currency notes were handed over to a hospital employee who gave them to the accused at a location near Muvattupuzha where he was caught red-handed and later raided his house and seized certain documents.

He was produced before the CBI court on Saturday noon which remanded him to judicial custody till Monday when the court will hear his bail petition and custody application of the CBI. “Preliminary probe found the officer had demanded a bribe for some favours related to income tax files. An examination needed to be done in this regard too. Similarly, we would check the wealth amassed by the officer while serving the department," a CBI official said.