The year-old Gingee Ramachandran alleged bribery case has resulted in an unpecedented dragnet thrown over Income Tax officials. Today the CBI slapped criminal cases against 12 Income Tax officials in Chennai and has written to the Finance Ministry to take departmental action against 102 more officials—several of whom are Commissioners.The CBI claims it has evidence against each of the 114 officials for having used services and the hospitality of A. Krishnamurthy, the Chartered Accountant who was in alleged cahoots with Gingee’s secretary, Perumal Swamy, resulting in the Minister’s resignation.The 12 officers against whom cases were filed today were those before whom Krishnamurthy’s clients had appeared for settlement of Income Tax claims.Officials say that a scrutiny of the assessments showed a pattern of favourable decisions given by the Commissioners and a reduction of taxes and penalties by as much as Rs 20-30 lakh in several claims.In all, claims worth crores were reduced for Krishnamurthy’s clients by these officials.In exchange, there is evidence to show that Krishnamurthy had for years been picking up the tab for air travel, taxis and parties for the IT officials and their families. Details of the cases filed today show that bills ranged from air tickets worth Rs 47,100 in the case of one Commissioner to a small taxi bill of Rs 2,331 in another case.It was raids in Krishnamurthy’s office last year that led the CBI to computerised accounts where names of the 100-plus officers cropped up against expenses on purchase of air tickets and for taxi hire.Later, airline records and bills of the taxi services were compiled and the actual usage by the IT officers and their families confirmed. A decision was taken to segregate the officers where an actual quid pro quo existed as against those where only monetory favours were taken and where departmental action could be initiated by the Government.On the list of 12 officers who are now facing charges against the Prevention of Corruption Act, incidentally, also are the former Director General of Investigations and the Additional Director, Investigations, earlier posted in the Chennai circle.Several of the implicated officers have been posted elsewhere in the country now.In the Gingee Ramachandran case, an IRS officer named Anurag Vardhan was caught paying a Rs 4 lakh bribe to Perumal Swamy for swinging a favourable posting. Both Vardhan and Perumal Swamy were arrested and Swamy had later confessed he had taken the money for the Minister.
