IT Commissioner, CA held for accepting bribe

Mumbai, Jul 9: A top Income Tax officer and his chartered accountant aide were arrested by CBI on the charge of accepting bribe of Rs 2.20 lakh from a software engineer for showing an official favour.

The accused, R P Meena, Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals) and his aide U P Pai were arrested last night for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 2.20 lakh from the complainant working in a private firm, said joint director of CBI, Rishiraj Singh.

The bribe was sought by the accused to give a closure report in an income tax scrutiny for the assessment year 2006-2007.

According to CBI's Anti-corruption Bureau unit, Pai was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount from the complainant on behalf of the IT Commissioner in Shivala restaurant near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in South Mumbai.

Interrogation of Pai revealed that he was acting on behalf of Meena. Subsequently, CBI officials went to Meena's residence at Napean Sea Road and arrested him too.

The victim, on being asked to pay bribe, had approached CBI which laid a trap and the arrested the duo.

PTI