A special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Rajkot has sentenced a retired Income Tax officer to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a bribery case dating back to 2019.
Special ACB Judge V K Bhatt convicted 66-year-old Maulesh Mehta for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 15,000 from a share broker. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh, with an additional six months of simple imprisonment in case of non-payment.
Bribery Incident in 2019
The incident occurred in March 2019 when Mehta was posted at the Rajkot Income Tax office. He had issued a notice to share broker Amit Joshi regarding discrepancies in his Income Tax Returns for the financial year 2011-12.
When Joshi visited Mehta's office along with his Chartered Accountant, Ravi Takwani, the officer allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 to settle the issue and avoid further legal complications. After negotiations, the amount was settled at Rs 15,000, which was accepted by Mehta on March 12, 2019.
Secret Recording and ACB Complaint
Demonstrating vigilance, Joshi secretly recorded the conversations related to the bribe demand and payment on his mobile phone. He later filed a formal complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau headquarters in Ahmedabad via email.
Following a preliminary inquiry, a formal case was registered against the officer.
Electronic Evidence Key to Conviction
During the trial, the prosecution presented electronic evidence, including the recorded audio clips. The recordings were examined by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), where voice spectrography tests confirmed a match between the voices of Mehta, Joshi and the Chartered Accountant.
Relying on the forensic reports and supporting testimony, the court found Mehta guilty under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. However, he was acquitted of charges under Section 13(2) of the Act.
Court Rejects Plea for Leniency
The defence sought a lighter sentence, citing Mehta's age, health issues and long career in public service. However, the court observed that corruption by a highly educated public servant causes serious harm to society and the nation.
Following the verdict delivered on February 27, Mehta's bail was cancelled, and he was taken into custody immediately.
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