I-T chief graft case takes a new twist

I-T chief graft case takes a new twist TIMES NEWS NETWORK Mumbai: A special court is in the process of wrapping up a corruption case filed against former income-tax commissioner Ashok Purwar who was charged with taking money from a government contractor to pass an order in his favour. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the complainant Kripashankar Chaturvedi's own chartered accountant, Pradeep Banka, demanded money on Purwar's behalf in 2001 to get favourable orders passed. The initial demand was alleged to be Rs 20 lakh but after negotiations it was reduced to Rs 8.5 lakh. The chargesheet against Purwar states that he called Chaturvedi and said that Banka had given him only Rs 6,50,000 and if the remaining amount was not coughed up he would "spoil his case''. Chaturvedi said in his complaint registered with the CBI that he went to Purwar's office at Piramal Chambers with Rs 50,000 in his possession on June 22, 2001. Purwar was then caught in a trap laid by the CBI, while accepting the bribe amount. The telephonic conversation between Purwar and Chaturvedi where the alleged dealings for bribery took place, has also been produced as evidence by the bureau. When the trial before special judge Vijay Sikchi was to begin, Purwar moved the Bombay high court against the admissibility of telephonic conversation as evidence. A division bench had then ordered on September 22, 2008 that the trial court should go ahead and hear the matter expeditiously. While judge Sikchi has examined seven witnesses, including Chaturvedi who narrated how the demand for bribe was made, Banka has now moved an application saying that Chaturvedi should himself be booked for paying a bribe, which is also an offence. "We have requested the court to continue hearing the evidence as this could just be a tactic to delay the case. In any case we are under orders of the high court to try the matter expeditiously,'' said special prosecutor Ijaz Khan. Speaking to TOI, Chaturvedi said that he had lodged the complaint because he could not meet the constant demands for money.

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