The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday arrested an Income Tax Officer for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a Mumbai resident in exchange for issuing a favourable order regarding an inquiry into her tax returns.
According to CBI officers, the accused has been identified as Ulhas Lokhande and was arrested after a trap was laid by the Anti Corruption Bureau of the CBI at his office in the Bandra Kurla Complex.
CBI officers said that in March last year, the complainant, a woman, received a notice from the IT department regarding non-filing of tax returns for the financial year 2009-2010. She subsequently met Lokhande in his office and explained to him that her income for the financial year in question was below the taxable limit. However, Lokhande allegedly insisted that she appoint a Chartered Accountant to represent her case with the IT department, to which she agreed.
A CBI officer said, “On December 20, Lokhande called the complainant to his office to discuss the case. She went to meet him on December 29 along with her brother. Lokhande, during this meeting, told the complainant that he had absolved her from huge income tax liabilities and demanded ₹ 2 lakh in return, failing which he threatened to open inquiries into her tax returns for subsequent financial years. He ultimately brought the demand down to ₹1.25 lakh and later to ₹1 lakh.”
The complainant then approached the CBI. Lokhande was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after he allegedly accepted ₹2 lakh in cash from the complainant at his office in BKC. Searches are under way at Lokhande’s office and residence and he will be produced in court on Thursday.
