By IANS
New Delhi : Income Tax Deputy Director Ashutosh Verma had allegedly demanded millions of rupees from arms dealer Suresh Nanda – both arrested in Mumbai Saturday – to bail him out of an income tax case against him, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said.
Verma, a 1999 batch Indian Revenue Service officer, was caught Saturday night by CBI sleuths while he was purportedly negotiating the bribe amount with Suresh Nanda, his son Sanjeev and their chartered accountant Bipin Shah.
“Verma demanded Rs.8-10 crores (Rs.80-100 million) from Suresh Nanda to favour him in the investigation report,” the CBI official told IANS.
Searches conducted by the Directorate of Income tax (Investigation) at Suresh Nanda’s premises in 2007 had unearthed several incriminating documents showing his involvement and also that of his associates in various defence deals. Verma was handling that probe.
Holidaying with his family in Goa, Verma flew down to Mumbai Saturday to discuss the payment of the remaining amount of bribe in the deal struck through Shah. Shah had received Verma at the airport.
“The meeting between all the four accused was going on in the hotel, when we arrested them. All of them had entered the hotel on false identities,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“After receiving a huge amount, Verma had deliberately suppressed the incriminating material in his possession in the investigation report he prepared to save the Nandas and their associates from any impending prosecution by the CBI and other agencies,” the CBI official added.
The agency has also recovered the draft investigation report prepared by Shah after making the changes as demanded by Suresh Nanda.
The CBI sleuths had been tailing Suresh Nanda for allegedly receiving kickbacks in a deal to purchase Barak missiles from Israel.