CBI
The Central Bureau of InvestigationCHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images [Representational Image]

After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested an Income Tax (IT) department officer in Bengaluru for accepting a bribe of Rs 14 lakh, the CBI sleuths arrested his colleague on Thursday (April 4).

The CBI had arrested HR Nagesh, IT officer, Ward 7 of Koramangala, while he was accepting a bribe from M Srinivas Rao, managing director of a real estate firm Windsor Garden Pvt Ltd at a coffee shop in Jayanagar on Wednesday night. The bribe was paid to the IT officers to cover up an enquiry against Rao over tax evasions.

The CBI nabbed the IT officials after Rao complained to the bureau about Nagesh and his colleague Narender Singh, who had demanded a bribe of Rs 20 lakhs which was later negotiated to Rs 14 lakhs.

The IT officers had conducted a raid at the real estate firm's office on March 6 and had recovered two bills amounting to Rs 25 lakhs and Rs 10 lakhs which Rao had given to another realtor Sarvottam Raju. They also found a few cheques that Raju had given to Rao in return.

The IT officers confiscated the documents and had demanded the bribe from both realtors to return back the cheques to avoid penal action. Rao did not want to pay the bribe so he complained against Nagesh and Narender to the CBI and they arrested the corrupt officials.

The CBI sleuths also raided the houses of the IT officers and recovered unaccounted cash of Rs 1,65,50,650 and 1,450 dollars. The CBI officials also recovered several files including property documents, pen drives and mobile phones from Nagesh's house.

The sleuths also seized documents containing property and financial details of different persons from Singh's residence, reports TOI.