Innovative way to pay bribes

New Delhi, Dec. 28: Demonetisation might have made it difficult for people to arrange bribes in new currency but some babus are finding unique ways around the problem like by allowing bribes in instalments.

One such attempt of an Income Tax officer in Visakhapatnam to allegedly get illegal gratification in instalments landed him in the CBI custody.

It was alleged that B. Srinivasa Rao, Income Tax Officer, Visakhapatnam had demanded a bribe of `1.5 lakh from a person who had given his plot for redevelopment.

The person expressed inability to produce so much cash because of the curbs imposed on the withdrawal of currency post-demonetisation, the sources said.

Rao asked the person to give the bribe in instalments, they said. When the first instalment of `30,000 was being exchanged, CBI caught the ITO, they said.

“It was alleged that the complainant who gave his plot for development to a builder was yet to receive his share of 12 flats. The accused demanded a bribe of `1,50,000 for dropping further proceedings with reference to the notice issued to the complainant in respect of sale of immovable property which require payment of capital gains,” CBI spokesperson Devpreet Singh said here on Wednesday. — PTI