VISAKHAPATNAM – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Visakhapatnam has registered a high-profile corruption case against an Assistant Director of the Income Tax Department, a Chartered Accountant, and a society president. The case involves an alleged conspiracy to settle a tax investigation involving the misuse of ₹2 crores in exchange for a hefty bribe.
The Alleged Conspiracy
The investigation was launched following reliable source information indicating that Shri Amrit Kumar, Assistant Director (Investigation) at the Income Tax Department in Visakhapatnam, was allegedly soliciting illegal gratification to provide “undue favors” to various taxpayers.
The specific matter involves M/s Ratnamala Educational & Cultural Society, which operates the Nalanda School in Narsipatnam. Key details include:
- Misuse of Funds: Source information revealed that the society’s President, Shri Nerella Venkata Rajesh, allegedly diverted ₹2 crores of society funds into his personal bank account.
- The Bribe Demand: To settle the issue and suggest “corrections” in the society’s tax returns, Amrit Kumar reportedly demanded a bribe of ₹20 lakhs, which was eventually negotiated down to ₹14 lakhs.
- Role of the Mediator: Shri Grandhi Sarath Kumar, a Chartered Accountant (CA) based in Narsipatnam, allegedly acted as the middleman, coordinating the payoff between the society president and the IT official.
CBI Trap and Registration
On February 5, 2026, the CBI moved to register the FIR (RC 01(A)/2026) after learning that the CA had collected the bribe money in Narsipatnam and was en route to Visakhapatnam to deliver it.
Shri Pramod Kumar Tanwar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, was instructed by the agency to lay a trap to catch the accused during the transaction. The case has been officially entrusted to Shri K. Madhusudhanan, Dy. SP, CBI ACB, Visakhapatnam, for further investigation.
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List of the Accused
The FIR names the following individuals and entities:
- Shri Amrit Kumar: Assistant Director (Investigation), Unit-III(1), Income Tax Department, Visakhapatnam.
- Shri Grandhi Sarath Kumar: Chartered Accountant, Narsipatnam.
- Shri Nerella Venkata Rajesh: President, M/s Ratnamala Educational & Cultural Society.
- Unknown Public Servants and private persons.
Legal Charges
The accused have been booked under the following sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act:
- Section 61(2) BNS, 2023: Criminal Conspiracy.
- Sections 7 & 8 of the PC Act, 1988: Offences relating to public servants being bribed and the bribing of a public servant.
The FIR was authorized by Murali Rambha, IPS, Deputy Inspector General of Police & Head of Branch, CBI, ACB, Visakhapatnam.
