A special CBI court on Friday sentenced two Income Tax officials to four years imprisonment for accepting a bribe of Rs 15 lakh, while acquitting the jeweller accused of acting as a middleman. The officials, Pawan Kumar Sharma, then-chief Income Tax commissioner and inspector Shailendra Bhandari, were also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh each.
Court Observations
Delivering the judgment, Presiding Officer Bhupendra Sanadhya stated that the actions of the officials amounted to serious corruption, eroding public trust in government institutions.
Background of the Case
The case dates back to March 2015, when Barmer businessman Kishore Jain approached the CBI alleging that Sharma and Bhandari had inflated his tax liability for 2012-13 from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 12 crore and demanded a bribe to settle the matter. Initially, the bribe demand stood at Rs 25 lakh, later reduced to Rs 23 lakh.
Jain had already secured a favorable ruling at the Commissioner of Appeals, yet he faced persistent pressure from senior officials. Following his complaint, the CBI set up a trap, catching Bhandari red-handed while collecting Rs 15 lakh at jeweller Chandra Prakash Katta's showroom on March 31, 2015.
Investigators confirmed that the money was being collected on behalf of Sharma, leading to the arrests of both officials and Katta.
Charges and Acquittal
The two officials and the jeweller were charged under Section 120B of the IPC and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Katta was acquitted due to insufficient evidence of his involvement in the bribe transaction.
Separate Investigation
The CBI also conducted raids at eight properties belonging to Sharma across the country, leading to a separate case for possessing disproportionate assets worth crores, including immovable property and other valuables.
The court's verdict sends a strong signal that corruption in government institutions will be dealt with strictly, reaffirming public trust in investigative agencies like the CBI.
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