Chandigarh: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) during its anti-corruption campaign, has arrested a chartered accountant (CA) Ankush Sareen, resident of Ludhiana, for taking a bribe of Rs 26 lakh in the name of income tax officers at Chandigarh.

Disclosing this here, a spokesperson of the VB said that this case has been registered against the above said CA, who is practicing privately, after investigation of an online complaint lodged at the Chief Minister's Anti-Corruption Action line.

Giving details, he added that the complainant Parminder Singh Sidhu, resident of village Malsian, district Ludhiana, has alleged that the above said CA had taken Rs 26 lakh in two installments for giving a bribe to the income tax officers in lieu of settlement of a notice served to his relatives residing in the USA regarding an income tax return.

The complainant further informed that he had handed over Rs 25 lakh cash to the CA at his residence on 15-01-2023 and also made a video. After this, CA Ankush Sareen had obtained Rs 1 lakh more for junior officers of the Income Tax Department from the complainant on 26-01-2023.

The spokesperson said during an inquiry from the IT Department, the complainant came to know that said notice of IT department had not been filed and he realised that said CA had taken a bribe fraudulently in the name of income tax officers by making him fear of heavy penalty and had not given further to anyone. Then he called the said CA to return his money back as his work had not been done but he didn't.

The spokesperson added that the VB unit of Ludhiana range has investigated the allegations leveled in the complaint and registered a corruption case at VB police station Ludhiana against the above mentioned CA after finding him guilty for extorting a bribe money by making him fear of heavy penalty. Further investigation in this case was under progress, he informed. /BI/