CHENNAI – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Chennai, has registered a criminal case against a staff member of the Income Tax Department for allegedly demanding a bribe to settle a tax discrepancy. The official is accused of seeking a 10% “commission” on a ₹19 lakh tax demand faced by an engineer working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered on February 2, 2026, following a formal complaint.
The Accused and the Allegations
The primary suspect has been identified as Shri Abhinandan Singh, a Stenographer serving in the Non-Corporate Ward-17(4) of the Income Tax Department at Greams Road, Chennai.
The case was brought forward by Shri Raghunath T. S., a Chennai resident currently employed as a Barge Engineer with M/s ADNOC Drilling in the UAE. Raghunath, who previously worked for a Mumbai-based firm, discovered a discrepancy in his tax filings for the Assessment Year 2020-21.
A Technical Error Turned Into Extortion
The investigation details a series of events beginning in late 2025:
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- The Discrepancy: The IT Department’s online portal indicated that Raghunath had outstanding tax dues of approximately ₹19 lakhs.
- The Cause: Raghunath explained that the dues were an error caused by an incorrect TAN (Tax Deduction at Source Account Number) entered by his previous employer’s accounting staff following a company reorganization.
- The Initial Call: On November 26, 2025, while in Abu Dhabi, Raghunath received a call from Abhinandan Singh, who directed him to visit the IT office in Chennai to resolve the matter.
The Bribe Negotiation
Raghunath returned to India and met with Singh at the BSNL Building on Greams Road on December 4, 2025. During this meeting, the official allegedly claimed that:
- Manual Corrections Required: Since the deadline for online corrections had expired in March 2025, only manual intervention could fix the record.
- 10% Demand: Singh demanded 10% of the total outstanding amount—roughly ₹1.9 lakhs—as an “undue advantage” to clear the tax dues.
- The Sweetener: To encourage payment, Singh allegedly promised Raghunath that he would facilitate a ₹80,000 credit from the department into his account as a “favor”.
Raghunath refused to comply with the demand and instead filed a written complaint with the CBI on December 15, 2025.
Legal Action and Investigation
The CBI has determined that the information prima facie discloses offences under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), which deals with public servants taking undue advantage.
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Inspector Nakka Ashok of the CBI ACB Chennai has been assigned to lead the investigation. The FIR was authorized by P. Murugan, IPS, Deputy Inspector General of Police and Head of Branch, and has been dispatched to the Hon’ble VIII Additional/Principal Special Judge for CBI cases in Chennai for further proceedings.
