CBI arrests 5 Hyderabad IT officials, one chartered accountant for tax fraud

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against six income tax officials, including five Hyderabad-based – two income tax inspectors, three senior tax assistants and a private person who works as a chartered accountant – on allegations of cheating the Income Tax Assesses and obtaining undue advantage for themselves.

The three accused senior tax officials work in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Aayakar Bhawan and Kondapur.

The IT officials allegedly misused data from the Income Tax Department about taxpayers who claimed high refunds and used this information to issue notices and initiate inquiries.

The accused IT officials contacted the assessors over the phone and threatened them with hefty penalties.

They allegedly obtained an undue advantage in the accounts of the accused chartered accountant and got the same transferred into their accounts.

The CBI conducted search operations at the premises of the accused officials at six places in Hyderabad, which led recovery of some incriminating documents.

A case has been filed and further investigations are on.