CBI on Sunday arrested an Income Tax Commissioner from Nagpur and his wife for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to their known source of income to the tune of Rs 4 crore. While IT Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh was arrested from Mumbai airport by CBI sleuths, his wife Mrunalika Singh was His wife Mrinalika was picked up by the agency from their residence at Seminary Hills for abetting corruption. CBI officials had been on the trail of his assets over the last few days, after a tip-off.
Singh had amassed property worth crores in Mumbai in the name of his relatives from Bihar. He had opened accounts in their names at a nationalised bank in South Mumbai, from where illicit money was being transferred to the account of a city-based builder, who in turn shifted the money to another builder’s account, said special public prosecutor Ejaz Khan.
Singh failed to provide any satisfactory answer to the CBI’s queries on the source of the money and the properties, Ejaz said.
“CBI has booked the couple for amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 4 crore since the year 2002 in the name of several family members, said CBI counsel Ejaz Khan.
The CBI investigation has also revealed that Singh was helped by a chartered accountant (CA) from the city. The bank account details of Singh’s relatives were found at the CA’s office. Interestingly, the account holders had pan card numbers issued from Mumbai despite being from Bihar. CBI officials, who suspect that the wealth amassed by Singh could be much more than what has come to light, will question the CA and the relatives of Singh. Superintendent of CBI, Mumbai, Abhin Modak said investigations are on in that direction.
The two accused were produced before a special CBI court in Nagpur which remanded them to CBI custody till October 27 after which they would be produced before a special court in Mumbai.
