ED detained IRS Officer from Income Tax for accepting Bribe

An Income Tax official from Ahmedabad was detained on June 5 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. Santosh Karnani, the official, is accused of requesting and taking a bribe of Rs 30 lakh in exchange for an unfair advantage.

The ED has filed a complaint against Karnani and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in March 2023. The case was opened when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged a complaint.

According to the CBI, Karnani requested and received a payment of Rs.30 lakh from a businessman in exchange for not conducting a raid on his premises. After Karnani reportedly threatened him with a raid if he did not pay the bribe, the businessman approached the CBI.

ED has carried out searches at Karnani’s home and office in Ahmedabad. Several damning papers and electronic data were seized by the agency during the searches.

Karnani appeared in court in Ahmedabad and was placed in ED custody for five days. The ED is likely to examine Karnani about the alleged money laundering.

Karnani’s arrest is a big setback for the IT department. The ED has arrested an I-T official in a money laundering case for the first time. The arrest is expected to send a strong message to other unscrupulous IT officers.