CBI Files Charge Sheet against ITAT Member
NOW, we have it officially from the CBI that they have filed a charge sheet against the dishonoured ITAT Member, who was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs. 30 Lakhs from a firm of Lawyers and Chartered Accountants. The CBI investigation revealed that a Lawyers and Chartered Accountant Firm in Kolkata were appearing in income tax matters on behalf of their clients, before the various Income Tax authorities, including the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Kolkata where the accused Accountant Member was working. It was further revealed that the Accountant Member has demanded an illegal gratification of Rs.30 lakhs from the Lawyers and Chartered Accountant Firm for undue favours being shown to them by him in the Income Tax matters of various parties represented by the Firm based at Kolkata before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Kolkata (ITAT). They were allegedly acting as a tout to the Member, ITAT and were the middlemen. They allegedly prepared orders on behalf of the Member of ITAT, Kolkata and manipulated orders.
It appears what the CBI has revealed is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg and is not unique to the Kolkata Bench. Such activities are not unheard of in other benches.