Two I-T officials in CBI net for taking bribes, Rs 1.65 crore seized in raid

Bengaluru: In a major embarrassment to the Income Tax Department, Karnataka & Goa, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two Income Tax officers - H.R. Nagesh and Narender Singh in a bribery case of Rs 14 lakh.

The accused government officers (AGOs) are posted in ward 7(1) (4) and ward 7(1) (3) at Koramangala.

The CBI had registered a case under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 7 of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) on April 3 against the duo on a complaint received from M. Srinivas Rao, managing director, Windsor Garden Pvt. Ltd. – a real estate firm - that the accused officers had demanded a bribe of Rs 14 lakh from him for an official favour pertaining to Income-Tax survey, which was conducted at his official premises on March 6.

During the survey Nagesh and Narender had allegedly recovered some documents such cash receipts and cheques, which Rao had issued to his business partners from his office and had demanded a huge bribe to return the same to him.

“The AGOs had asked Rao to deliver Rs 14 lakh on the evening of April 3 at a popular café in Jayanagar,” said an official spokesperson.

On Wednesday the CBI laid a trap and caught Nagesh red handed, while accepting the bribe of Rs 14 lakh from the complainant for himself and for Narender Singh, who was subsequently arrested on Thursday.

The investigating agency carried out searches at the residential and official premises of both the AGOs.

“The CBI has recovered cash of around Rs 1.65 crore and US$ 1,450 from the premises and locker of Nagesh, who was posted at ward 7(1) (4). Further, several incriminating documents relating to the case, property, investments and mobile phones and pen drives have been recovered during searches,” the officer added.

The arrested ITOs were produced before the designated court in the City on Thursday.