Vigilance bureau arrests Ludhiana-based CA for taking ₹26-lakh bribe

A spokesperson of the vigilance bureau, said the case against Ankush Sareen, a private CA, was registered after investigation of an online complaint filed at the chief minister’s anti-corruption action line

The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB), during its anti-corruption campaign, has arrested a city-based chartered accountant for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹26 lakh in the name of income tax officers in Chandigarh.

The accused CA in custody of vigilance bureau officials in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Disclosing this here on Wednesday, a spokesperson of the VB, said the case against Ankush Sareen, a private CA, was registered after investigation of an online complaint filed at the chief minister’s anti-corruption action line.

Vigilance SSP Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu said that the complainant Parminder Singh Sidhu, a resident of Malsian village in Ludhiana district, alleged that the CA had duped his relatives in USA of ₹26 lakh which he took in two instalments from him in the name of IT officials in Chandigarh.

“The IT department had served a notice to the relatives of the complainant in the USA as they sold a piece of land in India but did not pay the requisite tax. The CA told the complainant that the money was taken in lieu of settlement of the notice received,” said the SSP.

The complainant further informed that he had handed over ₹25 lakh to the CA at his residence on January 15 and also made a video. After this, Sareen had obtained ₹1 lakh more for junior officers of the income tax department from the complainant on January 26.

The spokesperson said that during an enquiry from the IT department, the complainant came to know that the notice of IT department had not been filed and the CA had taken the bribe fraudulently in the name of income tax officers.

Sidhu then called the CA to return his money back but he didn’t.

The VB unit of Ludhiana range has investigated the allegations levelled in the complaint and registered a corruption case against the CA after finding him guilty of extorting money from the complainant by creating fear of heavy penalty.