Sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigation faced violent protest when they conducted a surprise raid and arrested an Income Tax Officer in lucknow, soon after the accused received a bribe of Rs 2 lakh to make settlement in a case, on Tuesday afternoon.
Interestingly, the CBI team which was trapped in the Income Tax office was later rescued by the local police officials who rushed to the spot soon after getting the information. A senior officer of the CBI posted here at lucknow confirmed that one of the witnesses received serious injury after they were attacked by the employees of the Income Tax Department. IT employees reportedly also opened fire extinguisher to manage release of their officer was caught red handed. However, their efforts went futile and the team left after arresting the IT officer. The CBI officers confirmed that a case will be lodged in this connection with the local Hazratganj police station.
later, the office bearers of the IT Employees Union reacted to the allegations and claimed that they tried to stop the CBI team as they mistook them as some miscreants who were trying to use force on one of their officers to make settlement. However, once they learnt the fact, the employees left the scene and let the CBI to complete the legal formalities.
Sources said that the CBI team comprising sleuths of their Anti-Corruption wing in lucknow, were informed that Niranjan Kumar, Income Tax Officer, Range-V(2), posted at head quarter in lucknow, had demanded illegal gratification of Rs 10 lakh from the complainant for settling the matter of assessment of income tax for the financial year 2011-12. On Tuesday, the CBI team finally laid a trap soon after the first installment of bribe was handed over to the officer at his office. RsRsA trap was laid on Tuesday and the Income Tax Officer was caught red handed while demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh as initial payment of the demanded bribe amount of Rs 10 lakh from the complainant”, an official release of the CBI confirmed here on Tuesday evening. CBI has registered a case U/s 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against above Income Tax Officer, and searches were conducted at the office & residential premises of the accused, the release added. Niranjan Kumar will be now produced before the designated court of the CBI here on Wednesday morning.