E-Paper
CAT dismisses tax official’s appeal against compulsory retirement
The government had launched its zero-tolerance policy against corruption of tax officials on June 10, 2019, when it forced 12 senior income-tax officials to retire from their jobs over allegations of misconduct such as fraud, extortion and sexual harassment
The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has dismissed a case against the government’s decision to compulsorily retire tax officials allegedly on charges of corruption last year, a finance ministry official said.
“This justifies the government’s step of compulsorily retiring some black sheep in the tax administration last year,” the official said requesting anonymity.
After the Union finance ministry sent more than seven dozen tax officials of the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) on compulsory retirement last year for their unscrupulous activities, some of them had approached various benches of CAT against its decision.
“The principle bench of CAT in its December 9 order in one such case, pronounced through video conference, said that it did not find merit in the application and the same was accordingly dismissed,” the official said, while referring to a CAT’s order.
The government had launched its zero-tolerance policy against corruption of tax officials on June 10, 2019 when it forced 12 senior income-tax officials to retire from their jobs over allegations of misconduct such as fraud, extortion and sexual harassment. Following week, it forced another 15 senior Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs officials to retire over allegations of corruption.
“So far, 85 tax officials have been penalised for their unscrupulous activities under the drive,” the official quoted above said. Meanwhile, the revenue department, which is an arm of the Union finance ministry, has directed its top officials to perform their duties without fear or favour, and adopt zero tolerance in matters of corruption committed by its officials, he said.
“Agreeing to the government’s contention that the scope of interference with the order passed by invoking Fundamental Rules 56 (J) is very limited and not warranted in the instant case, the bench has come out very straight on the face of complainant, stating that the record of the applicant speaks for itself, and it was no longer in the interest of the department to continue the applicant in service, as the personal life of the applicant was not only extraordinary but also dented the very reputation of the department,” the official said.
The clause (J) of the Fundamental Rules 56 empowers the government to retire officers in public interest with immediate effect on completing 50 years of age.
The taxman was compulsorily retired by the government on September 27, 2019, under FR 56 (J) on various charges and complaints alleging demand of bribe and concern over the quality of orders passed by him, besides a large number of irregularities noticed during vigilance inspection, the official said.
“Besides several indiscipline and serious integrity issues, the official was accused of bigamy by his ex-wife and also of amassing wealth disproportionate to his income. He allegedly purchased a flat in Ashok Vihar, Delhi, and handed over the same to his estranged wife by way of alimony without furnishing any intimation as required under Conduct Rules,” the official said.
