CBI arrests Jharkhand IT Commissioner in graft case

The CBI questioned Dutta at the IT office in Ranchi on Wednesday.

Jharkhand's Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Tapas Kumar Dutta, has been arrested by the CBI on Wednesday night after conducting raids in connection with favouring Kolkata businessmen.

Tapas Kumar Dutta Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Ranchi in on-going case probe, will be produced in a Ranchi court today, reported ANI.

The CBI move came hours after it conducted raids at 23 locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand in connection with the case. The CBI questioned Dutta at the IT office in Ranchi on Wednesday.

The CBI took the step against Principal Commissioner Tapas Kumar Dutta, posted in Ranchi, and three of his colleagues following allegations of criminal conspiracy.

This followed the seizure of Rs 3.5 crore in cash and five kg of gold from the premises owned by Dutta.

The CBI filed a FIR against Dutta, posted in Ranchi, and three colleagues -- Additional Commissioner of Income Tax Arvind Kumar, Income Tax Officer Ranjeet Kumar Lal and Income Tax Officer (Tech) identified only as Ganguly -- following allegations of criminal conspiracy.

Dutta and his colleagues were accused of favouring five Kolkata-based businessmen -- identified as Biswanath Agarwal, Santosh Chowdhury, Aakash Agarwal, Vinod Agarwal and Arvind Agarwal -- and their companies by taking illegal gratification.

"During 2016 and 2017, Dutta entered into a criminal conspiracy with other Income Tax officials, the (five) businessmen, infamous entry operators and the Chartered Accountant for getting Income Tax assessment files of different assessee companies transferred from Kolkata and Hazaribagh to Ranchi for providing undue favour to those who had been charged with heavy tax liability in lieu of huge bribes," the official said.

(With agency inputs)