Gold, Silver, And Cash: CBI Discovers Staggering Rs 4.5 Crore In Ill-Gotten Wealth At IRS Officer's Premises

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a vast treasure trove of wealth, including piles of cash worth Rs 1 crore, multiple pieces of gold jewellery, and silver and gold coins valued at a staggering Rs 3.5 crore, during raids on premises linked to a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in Delhi, Mumbai, and Punjab. The CBI's operation, which was conducted on Monday, has brought to light the alleged corrupt practices of IRS officer Amit Kumar Singal, who was arrested, along with one of his associates, in a Rs 25-lakh bribery case on Sunday.

The CBI's search operation at the premises of Amit Kumar Singal, a 2007 batch IRS officer and additional director general at the Directorate of Taxpayer Services in Delhi, yielded a substantial amount of assets and incriminating material. According to a CBI official, the agency seized around 3.5 kg of gold and 2 kg of silver, valued at around Rs 3.5 crore, and cash amounting to Rs 1 crore. The officer's properties in Delhi, Mumbai, and Punjab were also revealed during the probe.

The CBI's investigation has also disclosed documents of a locker and 25 bank accounts with various banks, as well as documents of immovable properties and assets located in Delhi, Mumbai, and Punjab. While the total value of all movable and immovable assets is yet to be ascertained, the sheer scale of the wealth unearthed so far raises serious questions about Singal's integrity and the extent of his alleged corruption.

The case against Singal was registered by the CBI on Saturday, based on allegations that the public servant demanded illegal gratification of Rs 45 lakhs from the complainant, a pizza chain owner, in exchange for extending favourable treatment from the revenue department. The complainant, Sanam Kapoor, owner of a pizza outlet chain, alleged that Singal had demanded a total bribe amount of Rs 45 lakh to settle an income-tax notice. The demand was accompanied by threats of legal action, imposition of heavy penalties, and harassment in case of non-compliance.

The CBI laid a trap and caught Singal's associate, Harsh Kotak, red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakhs from the complainant on behalf of the accused. Later, Singal was arrested from his home in Delhi's Vasant Kunj the same day. Both the accused were produced before the designated court on Sunday, which sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.

Further investigation into the case is underway.