The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday made first arrests including of an IRS officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax (DCIT) and a private person from Delhi in connection with their involvement in an ongoing investigation of a case related to sabotaging the Faceless Scheme of Income Tax Assessment. Two Mumbai based I-T inspectors are also being probed by the CBI in this case.
Those arrested in the case have been identified as DCIT Vijayendra R and Dinesh Kumar Agarwal, a chartered accountant from Delhi.
According to the CBI, investigation conducted so far revealed that Agarwal and Vijayendra in conspiracy with others have been contacting various assesses of pending high value IT assessment cases, promising favourable orders in their income tax cases under scrutiny in lieu of pecuniary benefits. The Government of India had introduced the Faceless Scheme of Income Tax Assessment as a futuristic reform in Tax Administration with an aim to increase transparency, reduce human interface and thereby prevent corruption.
"This scheme is called ‘Faceless’ simply because the Assessee will not see the face of his or her Assessing Officer and will also not be able to know as to who will be conducting the assessments. This will reduce the interface, discretion and corruption. However, these accused persons have been clandestinely collecting and disseminating confidential insider information pertaining to this scheme like the name of the assessment officer, the issues under scrutiny etc., pertaining to pending big ticket assessment/appeal cases, to the Assesses and thereafter collecting bribe amounts. The arrested accused would be produced before the Jurisdictional Court," said a CBI official.
CBI has earlier conducted searches on 06.02.2025 at 18 places at Delhi, Mumbai, Thane, West Champaran (Bihar), Bengaluru, Kottayam (Kerala), etc. Various incriminating documents, evidences of payment of undue gratification and some digital electronic evidences were recovered during searches.
Initially a complaint was received from the Income Tax Department in this regard and an enquiry was initiated by CBI. On finding prima facie material, this case was registered by CBI against one Deputy Commissioner (IRS)(IT) & two Inspectors of Income Tax Department, five Chartered Accountants and one private person and unknown others on the allegations of attempts by these accused to defy and sabotage the purpose of the ‘Faceless Scheme of Assessment’ introduced by Government of India.
