CBI Nabs Income Tax Commissioner in ₹70 Lakh Bribery Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Lavudya Jeevan Lal, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the 2004 batch, for allegedly demanding a bribe of ₹70 lakh to grant a favourable decision to a prominent corporate group. Currently serving as a Commissioner in the Income Tax Department, Jeevan Lal is the son of Ramulu Naik, a former MLA from Wyra in Khammam district. Alongside him, four others have also been taken into custody in connection with the case.

According to the CBI, Jeevan Lal allegedly used intermediaries to collect bribes while serving as the in-charge Commissioner for the Income Tax Appellate Units 7 and 8. The case came to light after complaints were filed regarding these illicit collections. In response, CBI officials launched a sting operation.

On Friday in Mumbai, a person acting as an intermediary for Jeevan Lal was caught by CBI officials while receiving a bribe of ₹70 lakh from representatives of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. The intermediary was detained and interrogated, which led to the uncovering of further details and the broader scope of the bribery network.

Subsequently, the CBI filed a formal case against Jeevan Lal and launched coordinated search operations across 18 locations on Saturday. These searches were conducted in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Khammam, Delhi, and Visakhapatnam. During these raids, the CBI recovered critical documents and ₹69 lakh in cash.

In addition to Jeevan Lal, those arrested include Sai Ram Polishetty from Srikakulam district, Natta Veeranag Srirangopal from Visakhapatnam, Kantilal Mehta, Deputy General Manager of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, and Sajida Mazhar Hussain Shaanu. These individuals are alleged to have acted as intermediaries in the bribery process.

The CBI stated that the five accused were arrested from different locations and were presented before CBI courts in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad for remand proceedings. In total, cash amounting to ₹1.39 crore, including the bribe money and cash seized during the raids, has been confiscated.

The arrest of a senior officer tasked with preventing tax evasion, but who was instead allegedly orchestrating a bribery scheme through intermediaries, has sparked significant discussion within the Income Tax Department.