M A I N   N E W S

Punjab I-T Dy Commissioner held in graft case
* Jalandhar-based chartered accountant also arrested
* Special CBI court remands the two in 4-day custody
Deepkamal Kaur and Mohit Khanna/TNS

Jalandhar, April 3
Income Tax Deputy Commissioner PK Bhattacharya and Jalandhar-based chartered accountant (CA) Ashwini Gupta were arrested by CBI officials early this morning in an alleged Rs 6 lakh bribery case. They were produced before a special CBI court of Hemant Gupta at Patiala and sent to police remand for four days.

Bhattacharya, who is posted at Ludhiana, was putting up at the Income Tax Colony here. The CBI, which was tipped off by a businessman, found the cash at the CA’s residence in Green Park during an early morning raid (5.30 am). Apart from the cash, the CBI took away laptops, computers and certain documents. Sources said subsequent raids had led to the recovery of Rs 67 lakh in cash.

Ashwini Gupta is a renowned CA running a business. Well-connected, he has been an independent director with the State Bank of Patiala. There was a complaint that he and Bhattacharya were conniving to make monetary gains by entering into negotiations with big tax evaders.

In Ludhiana, a CBI team today raided the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Income Tax, Ludhiana, PK Bhattacharya. The anti-corruption branch of the CBI, Chandigarh, reached the Central IT office near Dandi Swami Chowk this afternoon and broke open the locks to enter Bhattacharya's office, scrutinised documents and jotted down the details of the computer data in Bhattacharya's office.

The CBI officials refused to say if any incriminating document had been found. The sleuths reportedly confiscated certain files. Sources said Gupta worked as a middleman. The role of more CAs was also under the scanner. The CBI has reportedly prepared a list of companies whose cases were settled recently.