CBI books IRS officer for demanding 250 gm of gold coins in bribe
New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has booked a deputy commissioner of customs for allegedly seeking a bribe in the form of 250 grams of gold coins to de-freeze bank accounts of a businessman's jewellery company, officials said Monday.
In the FIR, the CBI has named 2014-batch IRS officer Vikas Pal, then posted in Chennai, and his alleged accomplice Mohammed Sabahuddin in the case.
The CBI took action on a complaint filed by S Shreeganth, the director of Aalaya Jewel Industry Pvt. Ltd, in 2021 which he alleged that Pal, currently posted as Deputy Commissioner, Central GST Noida (Appeals), allegedly demanded gold coins through his representative Sabahuddin, "in lieu of de-freezing of the bank accounts of his company".
A query e-mailed to Pal seeking his reaction remained unanswered.
Sabahuddin, who himself was a GST defaulter, allegedly called Shreeganth thrice regarding the fulfilment of said illegal demand of gold coins, according to the FIR.
The Directorate General of Vigilance (DGoV) Customs referred the matter to the CBI after concluding that there is sufficient corroborative evidence to support the
allegations.
The DGoV also said Pal took undue financial favour from Sabahuddin, who was an offender of GST by getting flight tickets booked, hotel bookings and cab bookings through him.
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Advocate found dead in car on Nainital court premises
Nainital (PTI): A 55-year-old advocate allegedly died by suicide after shooting himself inside his car at the Nainital district court parking lot here on Monday, police said.
According to the police, Puran Singh Bhakuni, a resident of Mallital, was found in the rear seat of his vehicle with a gunshot wound to his temple.
Police recovered a licensed pistol from his hand and a suicide note from the car’s dashboard. The note stated that Bhakuni was unwell and suffering from depression.
"We received information through lawyers around noon. The deceased was lying in the back seat with a pistol in his hand and blood near his ear," Circle Officer Anjana Negi said.
Forensic teams and ballistic experts reached the spot to collect evidence, as no witness reported hearing the gunshot.
Government counsel Sushil Sharma stated that Bhakuni left home at 9 am and was found dead at 9.30 am.
Sharma raised concerns over the circumstances, noting that the body was in the rear seat, and demanded a thorough probe to rule out foul play. Bhakuni, who worked as a notary, had married six months ago, he said.
Police took the body into custody and sent it for a postmortem to confirm the cause of death.
The forensic laboratory will examine the suicide note and the ballistics of the weapon, the police said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
