Chandigarh, June 2
In a bizarre twist to the PPSC scam, the Income Tax Department has started pursuing those who helped unearth the multi-crore scandal.
In a notice sent under Section 131 of the Income Tax Act, the Deputy Director of Income Tax (Investigation)-II Chandigarh, Mr Munish Kumar Gupta, has asked the complainant in the Ravi Sidhu case, Mr Bhupjit Singh, to explain the source of Rs 5 lakh given by him to Sidhu as bribe on March 25.
The PPSC chairman was caught red-handed by the investigating agency on March 25, in a “trap” laid for him by the Intelligence Wing of the Punjab Police following a complaint by Mr Bhupjit Singh.
Mr Bhupjit Singh, who has been receiving threats to his life for helping the police to nab Ravi Sidhu, has also been asked to file the following information with the Income Tax Department.
(i) A complete list of properties held by him and his family members; (ii) A complete list of properties sold by him in the past three years; and (iii) A complete list of bank accounts held by him in his own name and in the name of his family members as also details of bank accounts, if any, closed in the past two years.
The entire information is required to be submitted to the department within a week. The notice period ends on June 3.
According to knowledgeable sources, the IT notice has been “prompted” by certain vested interests with a view to demoralising those who have helped the investigation process and diverting attention from the real culprits.
“This puts the Income Tax Department in bad light and gives an idea of how things are being sought to be managed,” an insider who wishes not to be identified told TNS.
