CBI court sentences 2 for five years

A CBI court on Thursday convicted two persons, including a former Income Tax officer, for fraud and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for five years, besides imposing a fine of over three lakh on them.
    
"Both -- G Selvakumar, former Income Tax officer and M Vincent Xavier, a private person -- were convicted by the principal special judge for CBI cases in Chennai and sentenced them to undergo rigorous imprisonment for five years.
    
"The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 26,30,000 and Rs 17,40,000 respectively on them, for committing forgery, fraud, issue of false and forged Income Tax Refund Order in the name of fictitious person," a CBI spokesman said.
    
According to the CBI investigation, the accused G Selvakumar, while working as Income Tax officer, in Chennai during 1996 to 1998 had entered into a criminal conspiracy with Xavier, a businessman and resident of Trichy.
    
"In pursuance of the criminal conspiracy, Selvakumar, by abusing his official position as public servant, dishonestly and fraudulently issued 110 Income Tax Refund orders in the name of false and fictitious persons and without receipt of Income Tax Returns to the tune of Rs 94,80,852 based on forged Form 16," the official said.
    
Selvakumar also used Return form and other supporting documents such as donation receipts, exemption claims in the names of person for whom he was not authorised to process the return, he said.
    
Whereas, Xavier opened bank accounts at various banks at Chennai, Trichy, Kodaikanal and Paramakkudy in the names of 12 fictitious persons impersonating himself as the assessees, forged signature in the valuable documents and used them as genuine and withdrew the proceedings to the tune of Rs 91,59,659 causing wrongful loss to the Income Tax Department, the spokesman added.