By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Apr 18:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested an Income Tax official for allegedly helping his colleague escape during a trap laid by the Gujarat Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in October last year in connection with a bribery complaint.
The then Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Ahmedabad, Vivek Johri was arrested for allegedly helping the then Additional Commissioner of Income-Tax (Central Range-I) Santosh Karnani, to escape during a trap laid on October 04, 2022 by the Gujarat ACB, an official statement issued by CBI on Monday read.
The trap was laid after Ahmedabad-based builder Rupesh Brahmbhatt (54) approached the Gujarat ACB claiming Karnani had sought Rs 30 lakh as bribe for not taking action against him. The IT had raided Safal Constructions Private Limited (B Safal Group) run by Brahmbhatt in September 2021.
Karnani had asked Brahmbhatt, .to deposit money into the account of “Vardhmman” at Dhara courier, an angadia service. “Vardhmman” account was owned by one Malav Mehta. The ACB subsequently recovered Rs 30 lakh from Dhara courier.
However when the ACB team reached the Income Tax office on Ashram Road to arrest Karnani after recovering Rs 30 lakh as part of the trap proceedings, Johri allegedly created ruckus which helped Karnani to flee from the spot.
Karnani, before escaping, handed over two mobile handsets to Johri, who threw them into the Sabarmati River to destroy evidence. The Gujarat government subsequently handed over the probe to the CBI, which registered an FIR on October 12, 2022.
Both the mobile phones (including one phone of Real Me make) were recovered from the river with the help of divers and other agencies using diving equipment and a remotely operated vehicle equipped with SONAR technology, the CBI statement rad.
The accused Johri was produced before the CBI Special Court, Ahmedabad and was remanded to police custody.
After a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) was issued by the Special Court for CBI Cases Ahmedabad on November 22, 2022, Karnani obtained an anticipatory bail from the Gujarat High Court on December 19, 2022, However it was challenged by the CBI in the Supreme Court in January this year. The matter is still pending.
