HC rejects tainted IRS officer's bail

After spending a month at Sabarmati Central Jail, the bail application moved by Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Suresh Chand Meena was on Tuesday (March 12) rejected by Gujarat High Court said officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Ahmedabad. The 26-year-old Meena, prime accused in the Rs 8 lakh corruption case to allegedly go soft on a scrutiny notice assessee, has been in jail since February 9 after his remand with the ACB ended post his surrender on February 5 before the Ahmedabad Court.

ACB PI CR Rana said, “Meena filed abail application in the High Court of Gujarat which was rejected by the honourable court. The accused has been sent to Sabarmati jail once more and will remain in custody.” However, all other accused in the case, CA Sumeet Singhania, CA Namita Singhania and Tax Assistant Sunil Patni have been released on bail, said ACB officials.

Enough proof to file charge sheet against Meena: ACB

The ACB filed a case against Meena on the basis of a complaint filed by a tax assessee, after which a trap was executed in which CA Namita Singhania was caught red-handed accepting the corruption amount of Rs 8 lakh on December 15, 2018, allegedly on Meena’s behalf.

Income Tax Officers’ Quarters Searched

ACB officials said they also possess call records and recordings of Meena and the other accused demanding the bribe and speaking about the completion of the transaction after the money changed hands.

During his remand by the ACB, officials said Meena made no other statement except the fact that he was not aware of any tax assessee from whom he had sought a bribe and when asked why Singhania would accept it on his behalf, officials said he replied he was not aware of the Singhania couple’s intentions.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) took his statement, voice recordings and other information before his remand ended. The ACB, during his remand, accompanied Meena to Aaykar Vihar, the Information Tax Officers’ Quarters in Vejalpur and searched his quarter. Officials said nothing much of import was found at his sixth-floor residential premises.

Meena is unmarried and was living alone in Ahmedabad and had only purchased a bed, TV, refrigerator and sofa. “His family never visited Ahmedabad and were completely in the dark as per their admission, while Meena was absconding in December and January,” said PI Rana.

About IRS officer

Meena, a 2015-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, passed the UPSC on his first attempt at the age of 22 and was given posting with the Income Tax Department in Gujarat. In his two years as Assistant Commissioner (ACIT), he first looked after the salaries department for a year after which he was moved to scrutiny notice assessment in the financial year 2018-19.