The CBI is now probing whether additional commissioner of I-T RK Gupta has been involved in hawala transactions worth crores of rupees.
After arresting additional commissioner of Income-Tax (I-T) RK Gupta in December, for allegedly accepting bribe, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now probing whether he has been involved in hawala transactions worth crores of rupees.
Investigating Gupta’s real estate deals, the CBI stumbled upon at least 10 properties, some of which he reportedly purchased as benaami (in someone else’s name) between 2007 and 08. Closer scrutiny of the deals revealed that nearly Rs1.40 crore was used to purchase the benaami properties - most of those in the names of relatives. “In almost every land deal, the purchase amount is fudged,” said a senior CBI officer. “We are probing if he got the money through hawala transactions.”
According to CBI sources, Gupta had bought a 1,210-yard plot in a plush locality near Delhi in the name of his brother, Ranjan, in September 2006. On paper, the deal was struck for Rs8 lakh. However, investigations revealed that the plot was worth nearly Rs96 lakh.
The accused had also bought two flats in Malad in April last year - one in his wife’s name and the other in his brother’s. They were shown to be worth Rs18 lakh collectively. “However, investigations revealed that the flats cost at least Rs40 lakh,” added the officer. The CBI is also monitoring details of Gupta’s bank accounts.
Gupta was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the CBI for “accepting Rs4 lakh” from a tax consultant. He was granted bail in mid-January.
Soon after his arrest, the CBI recovered Rs8 lakh from his office. Subsequently, a chartered accountant, Rakesh Makhija, was also arrested for investing Rs50 lakh, given to him by the I-T officer, on benaami assets.
Rupesh, another brother of Gupta, a sub-broker with Kotak Securities in Malad, was also arrested. A bag, containing Rs66 lakh cash, was recovered from him. His colleague, Jaideep Parikh, too was arrested for dealing in Gupta’s illegal money.
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