CBI targets errant Income Tax, GST Officials and CA for Misusing their Powers

One of the major operations carried out by the CBI’s ACB wing in Hyderabad in the last year was a nine-month investigation into alleged irregularities in the income tax department, which resulted in the arrest of five income-tax officers and a chartered accountant for misusing their powers and collecting kickbacks from taxpayers.

The CBI noted that the accused allegedly exploited data circulated by the Income Tax Department regarding Income Tax assessees who claimed large IT refunds, with orders to send notices to initiate investigations.

Misusing the data, the guilty public officers allegedly called the assessees and threatened them with severe penalties. Furthermore, the defendants reportedly got undue benefits in the Chartered Accountant’s accounts and then moved them to their own.

The CBI conducted searches of the accused’s properties in six locations in Hyderabad, resulting in the recovery of incriminating documents.