The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested B.B. Rajendra Prasad, Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals-30) from Mumbai and five others including the Managing Director of the Essar Group of Companies on Wednesday in a graft case.
CBI sources said, “According to our information, the Balaji Trust in Mumbai, in which Essar Investments Ltd, a part of the Essar Group of Companies, is a trustee, had filed an income tax appeal through their Chartered Accountantsand that the appeal had come before Prasad for hearing. Prasad had promised to pass a favourable order in exchange for a sum of ₹2 crore. Inquiries also revealed that Pradip Mittal, MD with the Essar Group, was personally monitoring the process of paying the bribe amount to Prasad,” said a CBI officer.
The officer added that Mr. Prasad, who was on leave in Vishakapatnam, had asked that the amount be delivered to him there an the CBI laid a trap accordingly.
Trapped
Mr. Prasad was caught while allegedly accepting ₹19.34 lakh from one Suresh Kumar Jain, a real estate agent from Vishakapatnam, and both were placed under arrest on Tuesday. A search of Mr Jain’s residence also revealed ₹1.50 crore in cash, which had also been sent by Mr. Mittal, said officers.
