I-T inspector, CA held in bribery case

LUCKNOW: Two persons, including an income tax inspector, were arrested by the anti-corruption unit of the CBI for allegedly demanding bribe of ₹25 lakh from a Kolkata-based private company on Wednesday night.

The CBI team arrested him for allegedly accepting ₹10 lakh (first installment of bribe) while the CA was held for facilitating deal.

A CBI official said I-T inspector Dharmsheel Agarwal was posted in the office of joint commissioner, income tax, range-III, Lucknow.

The other person arrested was chartered accountant Samrat Chand Mathur who was involved in facilitating the deal, added the official.

The official said a case was registered under section 7 and 7A of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against I-T inspector on a complaint of one Pratyoosh Kumar Mishra.

He said Mishra mentioned in his complaint that the I-T inspector had demanded ₹25 lakh for releasing FDRs of ₹7 crore of his firm M/s Jedy Tapes Private Limited that were seized by the I-T department during inquiry/ investigation of another connected firm M/s Shyam Vanaspati Oils Ltd, Lucknow in 2009.

He said the complainant’s firm was guarantor for M/s Shyam Vanaspati Oils Ltd when the latter took loan from State Bank of Hyderabad, Lucknow. The complainant deposited FDR of ₹7 crore as guarantee to the bank and it was seized by the I-T department during search on premises of M/s Shyam Vanaspati Oils Ltd in 2009.

The accused inspector was demanding bribe to release the same FDRs, he added.