Maha: Income Tax officer arrested for allegedly threatening, seeking Rs 20 lakh bribe from doctor
Mumbai: A doctor was recently framed by a 35 years old Income Tax officer, who demanded a bribe of Rs 20 lakh by threatening him of consequences for allegedly not filing the income tax return for the past five years.
The income tax officer was later arrested on the spot by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Maharashtra's Kolhapur while taking Rs 10 lakh bribe amount. A case has been registered against the official under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Shahpuri police station.
According to a recent media report in India Today, the accused income tax officer was caught red-handed collecting Rs 10 lakh bribe from the medical practitioner. The ACB officials informed that the accused officer had been assessing the income tax files of the certain homoeopathic doctor.
After going through the files of the doctor, who practises at Kohlapur, the accused officer found out that the doctor had not filed for the income tax return for the last five years. The doctor was then called by the officer, who asked him to pay Rs. 50 lakh as a penalty for the invasion of the income tax.
The accused officer explained that the consequences of the unpaid penalty would lead in the raid of the doctor's residence and clinic. He also told the doctor that under such circumstances, his property would be seized too.
When the doctor explained his inability to pay the huge amount of the penalty, the income tax officer allegedly put forward a second proposal. He asked for Rs 20 lakh bribery to dismiss the matter.
Following negotiation, the amount was settled at Rs. 14 lakh.
However, the doctor, on the other hand, approached the ACB and filed a complaint against the accused income-tax officer. In the primary investigation, conducted by the ACB, the income tax officer was found guilty.
Thereafter, the ACB officials laid a trap for nabbing the accused officer red-handed. On Friday, the medical practitioner asked the officer to meet him at the Wilson bridge in Kolhapur and reportedly collect the first instalment of Rs. 10 lakh.
Mumbai Mirror reports, the official statement of the ACB declares, "The income tax officer had demanded Rs 14 lakh from a doctor. He had threatened the doctor saying he will have to pay Rs 50 lakh for not paying an income tax for the last six years and will also have to face legal action, however, to avoid the penalty as well as action the officer offered to mediate and solve the problem for which he demanded Rs 20 lakh from the doctor. The amount was kept Rs 14 lakh after discussion of which Rs 10 lakh was supposed to be paid as the first instalment".
When the accused officer reached the spot on Friday, near the Laxmipuri police station, ACB officials caught him red-handed collecting the money.
