The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday extended the scope of its inquiry into the suspected Statewide corrupt nexus of certain ‘felonious’ Income Tax Department officials, chartered accountants, and rich businessmen.
The mutually symbiotic relationship has cost the national exchequer dear and caused undue pecuniary advantage to the powerful faction centred on the office of the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (CCIT), Thiruvananthapuram, officials said.
Sources privy to the investigation said that for the past several years, certain Income Tax officers at the CCIT had acted as a ‘bridge’ between top IT Department assessors and rich businessmen. They, for huge bribes, played a ‘pivotal’ role in finalising tax assessments in favour of the businessmen. Certain chartered accountants and businessmen facilitated the corrupt deals for a considerable cut of the illicit earnings. The main players in the racket were under the secret surveillance of Y. Harikumar, ASP, CBI, and his team since August.
On October 14, the CBI put its officers on a stake-out in front of the house of Mathew Alex, managing partner, Vellapally Brothers, Kottayam. Their mission was to arrest Principal Commissioner, IT, Sailendra Mamidi, a regular guest at Mr. Alex’s house; Income Tax officer Sarath; owner of Powath Jewellery Joy Thomas; his chartered accountant M.K. Kuruvilla; and Mr. Alex on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption.
Bribe of Rs.10 lakh
The CBI’s case was the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to finalise Powathil Jewellery’s IT assessment in its owner’s favour for a bribe of Rs.10 lakh. The agency also seized the bribe amount. The agency suspected that the coterie had negotiated similar corrupt deals with several other private entities.
More searches, inquiries, verifications and search operations were on. The CBI also wanted to know where the suspects had secreted their ill-gotten wealth, identify their nominees (benamis) and collaborators, if any. Officials said more arrests in the case were likely.
