CBI Books Five Income Tax Officials, Auditor for Extortion

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against five officials of the Income Tax Department and a private auditor for allegedly extorting money from taxpayers by misusing official data and threatening them with penalties.

The accused officials, all based in Hyderabad, have been identified as Quamar Aulam Khan, Manish Sikrawal, Gulnaz Rawoof, Kuthadi Srinivas Rao, and Mohammad Javeed. Additionally, Pulimamidi Bhagat, a chartered accountant, has been named in the case, along with unidentified public and private individuals. The FIR invokes provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Indian Penal Code, and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the CBI, on June 23, 2023, an internal master Excel list containing details of taxpayers claiming high refunds was circulated within the Income Tax Department. Although a senior officer later ordered its deletion, Quamar Aulam Khan and Manish Sikrawal allegedly retained the list with the intention of misusing it.

The two officials reportedly contacted taxpayers directly via mobile phones, citing discrepancies in their income tax returns and threatening them with penalties. Working in coordination with other officials, they sent emails from official department addresses, instructing taxpayers to submit additional documents. Once contact was established, they allegedly demanded payments under the guise of “penalties.”

Chartered accountant Bhagat acted as the intermediary, receiving calls and coordinating payments from the taxpayers. Investigations have traced UPI transactions ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1,00,000 between taxpayers and Bhagat, as well as to the accounts of the accused officials and their family members. The CBI is continuing its investigation into the matter.