The CBI on Wednesday allegedly caught red-handed a deputy commissioner of the Ludhiana Income Tax (I-T) department accepting a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from a businessman. The agency's anti-corruption branch also picked up a Jalandhar-based chartered accountant (CA) Ashwani Kumar Gupta for allegedly acting as a conduit in the illegal transaction. Both were arrested from Jalandhar.

CBI sources said former State Bank of Patiala Director Ashwani Kumar Gupta, who is also a Chartered Accountant, was arrested along with Income Tax department Deputy Commissioner P K Bahattacharya who was allegedly caught red handed while accepting bribe in return for settling a tax returns issue of the businessman.

CBI sources said that early on Wednesday, a trap was laid at CA Ashwani Kumar's residence in Jalandhar, with the help of the businessman.

The CBI sleuths seized some computers, laptops and important documents also from the residence of the CA running a chartered accountants company in the name and style of K Ashwini Gupta and Associates in the city having big industrial houses and business entrepreneurs as his clients.

They added that the businessman then made Kumar call DC (I-T) T K Bhattacharya to his residence. The duo were then allegedly caught red-handed while accepting the bribe.

Raids were also conducted at the houses of both the accused and at the I-T commissioner's office in Ludhiana. Sources said the CBI has managed to obtain "incriminating" evidence against the officer.

Bhattacharya had been under the scanner after the businessman approached the CBI claiming that the deputy commissioner had demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh to help him in a income tax assessment case.

The businessman, in his complaint, stated that the I-T department had raided his business and residential premises at various places.

The matter was then referred to I-T Department, Ludhiana, for assessment. The complainant alleged that it was here that Bhattacharya sought a bribe to settle the case.

CBI sources informed that when the complainant expressed inability to pay such a heavy amount, the "bribe" was reduced to Rs 6 lakh at the intervention of CA Gupta.

Both the accused were produced before the court of Special Judge (CBI) in Patiala on Wednesday. (Indian Express)