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The CBI arrested a deputy commissioner of the income-tax department and a chartered accountant for allegedly sharing sensitive data on pending assessment with a group of chartered accountants by sidestepping the faceless assessment system.
“Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax Vijayendra, a 2015-batch IRS officer, posted at the department’s Jhandewalan office in Delhi, was arrested here, while chartered accountant Dinesh Kumar Agarwal was arrested in Gujarat’s Bharuch,” said the CBI.
The CBI said the Centre has introduced the Faceless Scheme of Income Tax Assessment as a futuristic reform in tax administration with an aim to increase transparency, reduce human interface and prevent corruption. This scheme is called ‘Faceless’ simply because the assessee will not see the face of his or her Assessing Officer and will also not be able to know as to who will be conducting the assessments. This will reduce the interface, discretion and corruption.
“The arrested persons have been clandestinely collecting and disseminating the confidential insider information pertaining to this scheme like the name of the assessment officer, the issues under scrutiny etc, pertaining to pending big ticket assessment/appeal cases, to the Assesses and thereafter collecting bribe amounts,” the spokesperson said.
On the complaint of the DG of Income Tax (DGIT) department, the CBI had registered the FIR on February 4 against arrested Vijayendra R, posted at Jhandewalan office in New Delhi; I-T inspectors Dinesh Kumar Verma and Binayak Sharma, and purported CA Dinesh Kumar Agrawal. Other CAs booked in the case are Shivratan Mangelal Singrodia, Bhavesh Rakholia, Prathik Lenin, Malik Girish Anand, and Sushil Kumar.
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