Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jun 2: In a major crackdown on corruption, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a cache of cash, gold, and silver from the residence of senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Amit Singhal, who was arrested alongside his aide on Saturday in a bribery scandal.
Singhal, a 2007-batch IRS officer posted as Additional Director General at the Directorate of Taxpayer Services in New Delhi, and his associate Harsh Kotak, were arrested from Delhi and Mohali, respectively. The CBI has accused them of demanding a bribe of Rs 45 lakh in exchange for favorable treatment from the Income Tax Department.
Following the arrests, the CBI conducted extensive searches across multiple locations, seizing around Rs 1 crore in cash, 3.5 kg of gold, and 2 kg of silver—valued collectively at approximately Rs 3.5 crore. The search also uncovered documents linked to a bank locker, details of 25 bank accounts, and records of immovable properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Punjab.
“The total value of the seized assets is still being assessed,” a senior CBI official told reporters.
According to the CBI, the case was registered on May 31 after Singhal allegedly demanded the bribe and threatened the complainant with legal action, penalties, and harassment if the payment was not made.
The agency’s investigation culminated in a sting operation where Kotak was caught red-handed accepting a Rs 25 lakh bribe on behalf of Singhal at a Mohali residence. Singhal was later apprehended from his Vasant Kunj residence in New Delhi.
Both were presented before a designated court in Chandigarh on Sunday and remanded to judicial custody.
“The investigation is still underway,” the CBI official added.