Six years after a senior income tax assistant was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 500, a special CBI court on Wednesday sentenced him to one year’s rigorous imprisonment. Vijay Karekar was arrested by the CBI on October 17, 2005, on charges of accepting the bribe from a person, an income tax assessee, for clearing his tax refund order.
“Karekar’s job was to send through post refund orders of the income tax assessee after getting them signed from his senior officer,” said special CBI prosecutor Usha Makasare. The I-T assessee was to get a refund of Rs 26,000 for assessment years 2003-2004 and 2004-2005.
He received a call from the accused asking him to come to the income tax office, where Karekar demanded Rs 500 for clearing his refund order, she said. The assessee lodged a complaint with the CBI, which laid a trap and caught Karekar, Makasare added. PTI
There is no doubt that takingratification for doing a public work is bad in law but for mere Rs.500/- , Karekar has served the jail forfor 5 year- it seems that some foul play has been played. It is because that so many illegal transaction is being made and people are enjoing the time. How Karekar has been made escapegoat- this is matter of investigation. But since we are living in India- who catres for tiny tots.
A CIT is caught taking bribe of Rs. 2 Lakhs, an Addl CIT is apprehended red handed accepting bribe of Rs. 50 lakhs. They will get scot free, like the CA of Calcutta who was nabbed in a ITAT member’s CBI raid!