The special CBI court recently convicted a Chartered Accountant (CA), his assistant and four other accused in a TDS fraud dating back to 1999. The court, however, acquitted an officer of the department for want of evidence.
As per CBI case, the key accused – Devendra Chaturvedi, with the help of his assistant Hoor Jhurani – filed many of the returns of income claiming bogus I-T refunds between 1996 and 1998. This resulted in losses to the department to the tune of Rs 4 lakh. The bank accounts were opened by the accused for clearing the refund orders.
The two were assisted by G Chokkalingam. He allegedly prepared forged TDS certificate and he is one of the beneficiary of crime proceeds.
The accused opened bogus accounts in various banks in the name of transport companies. The other accused include Sayaji L Sangle, Ajit Chachad, Ashok Patel and John Soares, shown as proprietor of fictitious transport firms in whose favour TDS certificates came to be issued.
The public prosecutor for CBI JK Sharma examined 41 witnesses, which included officers of Income Tax department.
Further, the CBI had also booked Sharad Gambhir, who was posted as tax assistant in the I-T department for giving tax refund orders to the key accused. Gambhir, however, has been acquitted from all charges for want of evidence.
All the other accused have been convicted for the offences of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under Indian Penal Code. Chaturvedi is sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and also asked to pay fine of Rs 1.50 lakh for each offences. His assistant Jhurani, is sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment while asked to pay fine of Rs 40,000 for each offences. The other accused have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for six months.
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