In a major crackdown on corruption within the tax administration system, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Jeevan Lal Lavidiya, Commissioner of Income Tax (Exemption), Hyderabad, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 70 lakh to favour a tax appeal related to Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
Lavidiya, a 2004-batch IRS officer, was apprehended along with Viral Kantilal Mehta, Deputy General Manager (Taxation) of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, and three others - Sairam Palisetty, Natta Veera Naga Sri Ram Gopal, and Sajida Majhar Hussain Shah, officials confirmed on Saturday.
Bribe Delivered to Influence Appeal Decisions
According to the CBI, Sajida Shah was allegedly delivering the bribe to Lavidiya, who also held additional charge as Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals Unit-7 and Unit-8) under the Office of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Hyderabad. The bribe was intended to settle a tax appeal in favour of the real estate and infrastructure giant Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
The CBI registered an FIR against Lavidiya and 14 others, including unnamed private entities, for allegedly operating a network of middlemen to obtain bribes in exchange for favourable appeal orders.
Raids Across Multiple Cities, Cash Seized
A trap was laid in Mumbai, where one of the accused was caught red-handed accepting the Rs 70 lakh bribe. Following this, coordinated arrests were made in Hyderabad. Subsequent searches at 18 locations across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Khammam, Visakhapatnam, and New Delhi led to the recovery of approximately Rs 69 lakh in cash, aside from the bribe amount.
All the accused were presented before Special CBI Courts in Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
There has been no official response yet from the Shapoorji Pallonji Group regarding the arrests or the allegations.
CBI Intensifies Crackdown on Tax Corruption
This arrest is part of a broader CBI effort to clamp down on systemic corruption in tax appeals and exemptions, where public servants allegedly abuse their authority for personal gain. The agency continues to monitor financial transactions and appeal decisions involving large corporations and senior tax officials.
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