CBI Nabs 5 Persons Including Hyderabad I-T Commissioner In Rs.70 Lakh Bribe Case
The CBI registered a case on May 9 against Jeevan Lal and 14 other persons and entities
Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested Jeevan Lal Lavidiya, commissioner of income-tax (exemptions), Hyderabad, a senior official of infra major Shapoorji Pallonji group and three others for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 70 lakh meant to decide an appeal in favour of the company.
CBI officials also conducted searches at 18 places in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Khammam, Visakhapatnam and New Delhi, which have led to recovery of incriminating documents and articles including cash of Rs 69 lakh besides the bribe amount of Rs 70 lakh. CBI officials said that searches are still underway.
The others arrested were DGM (taxation) Viral Kantilal Mehta of the Shapoorji Pollonji Group; Sairam Palisetty of Srikakulam; Natta Veera Naga Sri Ram Gopal of Visakhapatnam; and Sajida Majhar Hussain Shah, resident of Chembur in Mumbai.
There was no immediate response from Shapoorji Pallonji Group on the arrests.
According to the CBI, a case was registered Lavidiya, an 2004 Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, and 14 other persons and entities on allegations. The allegations were that Lavidiya, who also holds the additional charge of commissioner of income-tax (Appeals Units 7 and 8) in connivance with middlemen was indulging in corrupt and illegal activities of obtaining undue gratification for extending illegal favours in deciding appeals in favour of the private parties whose appeals were pending with him for decision.
"CBI laid a trap and caught an accused middleman while accepting a bribe of Rs 70 lakh from a private party, at Mumbai on behalf of the accused commissioner of income-tax. Consequently, the accused and his associates were arrested from Hyderabad," the CBI official said.
The accused arrested at Mumbai were being produced before a special judge for CBI cases in Mumbai while those arrested at Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were being produced before Court at Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Later, the Shapoorji Pallonji group in a statement said: “The SP Group has been made aware of a serious allegation of misconduct against an employee of one of our Group Company subsidiaries. The alleged conduct was not with the knowledge of the Group, nor was it sanctioned by it. In fact, this goes against the very values and policies that the Group upholds in its business operations.”
It said the group was committed to fully cooperate with the relevant authorities in their investigations. “Given the seriousness of these allegations, the Group has already launched an internal enquiry into the alleged conduct and will take the necessary steps based on the outcome of the investigation,” it said.
