The Central Bureau of Investigation, late on Friday, arrested Mr R.P. Meena, Commissioner Income Tax (Appeal), Mumbai, for demanding Rs 2.2 lakh bribe from a salaried employee.
In the civil services hierarchy, Mr Meena's rank is that of a Joint Secretary.
Mr Meena allegedly demanded the sum from the employee for giving a closure report in an Income Tax scrutiny for the assessment year 2006-07. The CBI has also arrested Mr U.P. Pai, a Chartered Accountant, who was acting as a middleman.
The CBI has found property belonging to Mr Meena in Delhi, Jaipur and Dausa. A bank locker has also been sealed in Jaipur. Both the accused were produced before a special court of CBI.
The CBI Joint Director, Mr Rishi Raj Singh, while briefing the media on Saturday said that Mr Meena is one of the highest ranking officers in IT department, belonging to the 1987 batch of the Indian Revenue Service. The employee who is a complainant in this case was being harassed by Mr Meena and was not clearing the tax scrutiny, he said.
The complainant was asked to pay the money through Mr Pai, otherwise a heavy tax liability was to be imposed on him. Initially, Rs 10 lakh was demanded as bribe but the complainant managed to negotiate it to Rs 2.2 lakh, after which the CBI laid a trap to apprehend the accused, Mr Singh said.
At a restaurant near the CST station, Mr Pai called the complainant to collect the money on behalf of Mr Meena. He was caught red-handed while accepting currency notes, after, which Mr Meena was arrested from his residence.