CBI files charge sheet against ex-Ahmedabad additional I-T commissioner in Rs 30L bribery case

New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) The CBI has filed a charge sheet against a former additional commissioner of Income Tax in Ahmedabad who was arrested in an alleged bribery case of Rs 30 lakh, officials said Wednesday.

The agency had taken over the investigation from Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau which was probing the case against Santosh Karnani, they said.

In its charge sheet filed before a special CBI court in Ahmedabad, the agency also charged a private person Malav Mehta and former assistant commissioner of Income Tax Vivek Johri who was apprehended for helping Karnani escape the arrest.

The CBI has invoked IPC sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), 201 (destruction of evidence) besides provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

Karnani and Johri are in judicial custody.

“The CBI had registered the instant case on October 12, 2022 against then Additional Commissioner, Income Tax, Ahmedabad… It was alleged that when team of ACB, Gujarat reached the office of said Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, he escaped from his office by creating ruckus during trap proceedings, ” CBI’s spokesperson said.

The agency alleged that before escaping, Karnani had handed over two mobile handsets to Johri.

“It was also alleged that then Assistant Commissioner (Johri) had facilitated the escape of Addl. CIT (Karnani) and also disposed of the two mobile handsets of Additional CIT by throwing them in the Sabarmati river,” the spokesperson said.

He said the CBI recovered both the mobiles from the river front with the help of divers and other agencies using diving equipment and remotely-operated vehicle equipped with SONAR technology.