NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a 2007-batch Indian Revenue Service Officer Amit Kumar Singal, who was presently posted as the Additional Director General in the Directorate of Taxpayer Services, New Delhi. Along with him, another individual identified as Harsh Kotak, was charged with demanding and accepting Rs 25 lakh as a bribe. This Rs 25 lakh, according to the CBI, was a part of the payment of the total Rs 45 lakh in bribe demanded from the complainant.A case was registered against the accused earlier on Saturday. It was alleged in the FIR that the accused, as a public servant, had demanded illegal gratification of Rs 45 lakh from the complainant. This was in exchange for providing favourable treatment from the Revenue/Income Tax Department. Further, according to the CBI, the demand was accompanied by threats of legal action, heavy penalties and harassment in case the complainant refused to comply.The CBI laid a trap and caught Harsh Kotak, associate of Singal, while accepting a bribe from the complainant on behalf of the IRS officer at Singal’s Mohali residence. Later that day, Singal was also arrested at his residence in Vasant Kunj, the CBI said.According to the officials, the IRS officer had assured the complainant a relief in tax matters in exchange for the bribe and had warned of “legal action, heavy penalties, and harassment” if the demand was not met. Both Singhal and Kotak were arrested and will be produced before the competent court, the CBI said.The arrest was followed by a thorough search by CBI at multiple locations in Delhi, Punjab, and Mumbai, as part of the probe into the case. Officials also confirmed that the documents and digital evidence related to the bribery case were being seized and examined. Investigations by CBI into the matter are still underway, the officials said.
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