CBI arrests IT officer, team assaulted by fellow tax officers

An Income Tax officer was on Tuesday arrested by CBI while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs two lakh from a person, after which his fellow officers assaulted the CBI team and seriously injured two persons.

CBI sources said Niranjan Kumar had demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from the man for settling an issue of income tax assessment for the financial year 2011-12.

While he was receiving the first installment of Rs. 2 lakh of the bribe, CBI team carried out a search and caught him, they said.

Members of Income Tax Officers’ Union soon gathered and assaulted the CBI team with fire extinguishers seriously injuring a witness and an inspector level officer of CBI while three more agency officials received minor injuries in the process.

The sources said one of the CBI officers has been admitted in the hospital.

They said the agency will file an FIR against the tax officials at a local police station for alleged assault and obstruction in the work of the government agency.

“CBI has registered a case under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Income Tax Officer, Range-V(2), Income Tax Bhawan, Lucknow for demanding illegal gratification of Rs.10,00,000 from the complainant for settling the matter of assessment of income tax for the financial year 2011-12,” CBI spokesperson said.

She said a trap was laid and the Income Tax Officer, was caught while demanding and accepting the bribe.

“Searches are being conducted at the office and residential premises of the accused. The arrested accused will be produced before the competent court tomorrow,” she said.